My guest today is a track and field star who made history at the 2021 Tokyo Olympics. Luis Grijalva (@LuisGrijalva_) is one of the fastest people on the planet but almost didn’t get a chance to compete because of his immigration status. He’s a DACA recipient who was brought to the U.S. from Guatemala when he was a year old. Luis grew up in Northern California and went to Northern Arizona University and he’s now competing as a professional runner. Because he’s a DACA recipient, competing for the USA wasn’t an option, but given his birth– he was able to compete for Guatemala. And winning a spot was the easy part,  the road to Tokyo was so bumpy and a race against time!

FIRST: In this episode, Luis shares all the drama that involved securing a special immigration permit to travel outside of the U.S. and compete at the games. He shares what it took to finally get that document and the unbelievable lengths his Lawyer Jessica Smith Bobadilla (@iamattorneyjessica) had to go to make this all a reality.  

THEN: He explains what it was like to make history on that race track at the Tokyo Olympics, where he became the first Central American to qualify for the 5,000 meter race final. His biggest challenge, lesson and the  most unforgettable memory. Also, what it meant to him to run his new personal best and set a Guatemalan national record at the Olympics

AND FINALLY: We also get into dealing with critics, mental challenges and all the hurdles that come with being a DACA recipient– and what he recommends for overcoming all that to achieve even the most impossible dream. 

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