The hot summer sun beat down on them, making them feel as if they couldn’t go another step, yet they continued to run, pushing themselves to the limit. The two girls rotated back and forth between who led, always in constant competition with each other.

Nadia and Andrea Garcia have been running buddies since junior high. The two sisters, who are only a grade apart, compete together in cross country, as well as several other sports.

“We play volleyball, basketball, track and soccer,” sophomore Nadia Garcia said. “Competing in a lot of sports gives us stuff to do after school, and we really enjoy all different kinds of physical activity, not just specifically running.”

Among those sports, soccer is one that stands out to the girls for a few reasons.

“Soccer is very interesting,” Nadia said. “It helps me interact with other people from different schools and since it is an adult league, I can get advice from other women. It’s also the main sport from Mexico, and it makes me feel closer to my culture.”

The two use running as an outlet for several aspects of their life.

“It’s a stress reliever; when I have a lot on my mind it helps calm me down,” freshman Andrea Garcia said. “It’s also good for us health wise.”

Nadia stated that coaches are the ones who originally prompted them to start running.

“Our coaches always told us to stay in shape, so we took that into account when we first started,” Nadia said. “Since then it’s become something more competitive for us to do together.”

Overall, running is a passion that the two sisters share and enjoy doing together.

“Running is just fun to me because I feel free and I can enjoy it, and forget about everything else,” Andrea said. “Getting to do that with my sister makes it even more fun.”