Ama Almonte: Life Lessons Learned from Running

When Ama first started running in 2014, her motivation was more for her emotional health than anything else. Born and raised in the Dominican Republic, Ama was determined at a young age to create a new life in New York City after spending a semester studying abroad through an exchange program offered by her school. When she finally set out for her journey to NYC in 2013, the only English she knew was from Backstreet Boys songs. Confronted with language and cultural challenges like many other immigrants, running was her therapy.