“Movement and sport, in whichever way you want to do it, is this access point to so many other things…it’s this access point to meeting new people, it’s this access point to education. Everybody in my family always knew that it was more than just an individual [thing].” Graciela Esquivel is a New Mexico based runner, a Judicial Clerk for the NM Court of Appeals, and she happens to be my lifelong best friend! Graciela and I grew up together playing youth sports and went on to be basketball teammates throughout middle and high school. She graduated from Boston College in 2015 with a B.A. in Sociology, then went on to earn her J.D. from the University of New Mexico in 2020. She is a three-time half marathoner and we’ve even trained for one of those together! In this conversation, listen to us reflect on the power of youth sports in creating lifelong relationships, navigating our own insecurities as runners, and how her family influenced her love of movement.     In This Episode: Grounded Pod Episode 14 – Beth Wright Crash Bandicoot Video Game (our favorite video game) The Simpsons Road Rage (our other favorite video game) Duke City Marathon/Half Marathon/10k/5k, Albuquerque, NM The Experiment, the Atlantic Podcast Ted Lasso on Apple TV+ The Morning Show on Apple TV+   Follow Grounded Pod: Instagram: @groundedpod Twitter: @groundedpod Facebook: facebook.com/groundedpodwithdinee   Subscribe, Listen, & Review on: Spotify | Apple Podcasts | Soundcloud | Stitcher   Music by Jacob Shije (Santa Clara Pueblo, NM). This podcast was made possible through the Tracksmith Fellowship Program.