MOUNTAIN HOME, Idaho — As Hispanic Heritage Month comes to a close, a Mountain Home runner is completing a remarkable 899.5-mile journey to honor her immigration story and inspire others in her community.
Cristina Drake was born in Mexico but moved to the United States as a baby. Now, she's running the exact distance from her birthplace, San Luis Río Colorado, Sonora, to Mountain Home as a symbolic tribute to her family.
"It really puts into perspective the amount of sacrifice that my parents and my grandparents put into have us come and be here," Cristina said. "All I've ever known has been the life in the US."
WATCH | Mountain Home local tackles nearly 900 mile run in honor of her immigration journey—
The challenge began as a way to mimic the monarch butterfly migration, but Cristina discovered a deeper meaning in the symbolism.
"Because the monarch butterfly ironically is the symbol of immigration, I thought I wanna mimic my own immigration story through this journey," Cristina said.
The monarch butterfly, Idaho's state insect, is now tattooed on her arm as a symbol of resilience and transformation.
"I can tell you the past 10 years have been just that for me as a domestic violence survivor and somebody who's gone through just a lot of trauma. It was very important for me to just find that anchor, and I was able to find it through running," Cristina said.
Cristina started her run on October 1, 2024, and has since logged miles across the nation, including over the Gulf of Mexico, in Sedona, Arizona, and Newport, Oregon.
Her husband, Greg, has been her biggest supporter throughout the journey, she said.
"It's amazing. It's inspirational to me. It's hard to make excuses to not run or work out when she's doing it every day," Gregory Drake said.
Cristina plans to cross her finish line on November 1, hoping her story will inspire others with similar backgrounds.
"Just going after your dreams and making them come true. I've never thought of my skin color or my immigration status as a hindrance to accomplishing what I wanted to accomplish," Cristina said.
The Drakes will host a Harvest Hustle 5K at Legacy Park on Thanksgiving Day to collect donations for the Idaho Food Bank and local pet shelters.
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