For Tuesdays with Toyota, we are spotlighting some of USATF's most dedicated members with a short feature on USATF.org and our social media channels. Here is our feature with USATF athlete Lorraine Ambrosino, a member of the USATF Long Island Association from Holtsville. Why are you a member of USATF? I'm a member of USATF because it gives me a community. Race walking tends to be the long-lost cousin of track and field at times, but USATF makes sure to include it and acknowledge it. What is your "why"? My why is opportunity. As a Masters athlete, I'm just grateful for the opportunity to be healthy. It's taken 42 years for me to learn my body. I missed most of my "open" years to a back injury and exercise induced reflux that wore away my esophagus. There was a good ten year period I was told I'd never be able to run again, and had numerous doctors advising me against most forms of exercise. It's taken 42 years to learn that I know my body best, and to advocate for myself in finding doctors that will listen to me and work with my goals. I know I won't be healthy forever, so I'm taking this opportunity and making the most of it. What is something that helps you focus while you train? Having meets lined up that I am looking forward to helps me stay focused and train. Thanks to USATF and Gary Westerfield, race walking opportunities continue to be available. It's nice to be able to go online, look up events and have something to train towards. How has USATF impacted you? USATF has impacted me as an athlete and led me to want to coach young race walkers and new track and field athletes. USATF showed me back in the day the possibilities outside of scholastic sports, and it's my goal to do the same for young athletes. Outside USATF how do you spend your time? I'm a mom of two boys. They are soccer kids, but I’m secretly hoping they find their way to track and field soon. I've learned the more I push something the more they push away, so I'm letting them find their own way but with fingers crossed. I'm also a special education teacher for students with autism. My students are amazing people and I love getting to work with students who other teachers can view as "too challenging" at times. I find a lot of similarities between working with students with autism and race walking. I take pride in doing something different and get more out of it for myself than I ever thought possible. What is your favorite USATF memory? My favorite USATF memory is a true testament of how tight knit the racewalking community is. At a Long Island track and field summer series meet at Mitchell Field, I did a race just to stay in shape during high school or possibly just after. I ended up walking with a Masters athlete, Jim McGrath, and helped him race to a USATF Masters age group record. The race didn't have much meaning to me at first, but Jim was so excited and so grateful, we never forgot one another after that. In what event can a high school athlete and Masters athlete form lasting connections and memories? It's truly amazing. Is there an athlete or person who inspired you to join the sport? Peter McNeill, my high school coach, was the one who pushed me to pursue race walking. He is an extremely kind and patient coach who saw potential in my goofy and awkward self. He slowly guided me to find my niche, and then gently pushed me to excel in an event he first found me making fun of. His partner, Alex Young, taught me the meaning behind being the first to arrive and last to leave. I am beyond grateful for all they did for me and proud to be coaching alongside them.