361. Cynthia Martinez, Filmmaker & Journalist

Ali on the Run Show

Ali Feller

Run, Health & Fitness, Women, Inspiration, Runner, Entrepreneur, Sports, Fitness, Health, Running

4.9 • 3.7K Ratings

🗓️ 15 April 2021

⏱️ 69 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

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Summary

“It’s hard for me to be back here in a lot of ways. Because it sometimes brings me back to being that little Cynthia, and feeling like my voice doesn’t matter because of the color of my skin or my hair. Like people don’t care about what I have to say. And that’s why this film is so important to me. I want these kids to be heard. I want them to know that they do matter.”

Cynthia Martinez is a 12-time marathoner and four-time Boston Marathon qualifier who has run races on four continents, completed 16 international races, and won races in Thailand and Dubai. She's a mom, a journalist (she earned her Master's degree from Columbia), and a filmmaker. And right now, Cynthia is producing a film inspired by her own life experiences and her pursuit of higher education. First Voice Generation follows six first-generation Latinx college students, and documents how they are overcoming the challenges of a global pandemic while pursuing their own collegiate careers. On this episode, Cynthia reflects (powerfully; have tissues nearby) on her own childhood as the granddaughter of Mexican migrant farm workers and hard-working parents who worked multiple jobs, and talks about the struggles her family faced. She talks about abuse and alcoholism in her home growing up, and talks about how she is rebuilding her relationships with her parents now, as a mother herself. She talks about the jobs that led her to becoming a filmmaker — including nannying for the 1% in New York City and working at Univision — and explains the role running has played along the way.

(Want to support First Voice Generation? Check out the film's Kickstarter here.)

SPONSOR: AfterShokz — Visit ontherun.aftershokz.com for 15% off wireless headphones.

What you’ll get on this episode:

All about First Voice Generation (4:27)
Cynthia reflects on her own childhood (12:00)
How Cynthia found running (20:00)
Why Cynthia is a fan of only running three days a week during marathon training (23:00)
Cynthia talks about her running travels (31:45)
Cynthia’s road to becoming a mother, and her postpartum experience (35:00)
Cynthia’s career evolution, and how she became a filmmaker (51:30)
How to support First Voice Generation (59:35)

What we mention on this episode:

First Voice Generation on Instagram @firstvoicegeneration

First Voice Generation Kickstarter

Upward Bound

Chris Heuisler on Episode 265 of the Ali on the Run Show

Kate Pallardy on Instagram @katepallardy

Lynn McGrew on Episode 339 of the Ali on the Run Show

Follow Cynthia:

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Transcript

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0:00.0	This episode of The Alley on the Run Show is brought to you by Aftershocks.
0:04.0	Go to ontherun.aftershocks.com to save 15% on all wireless headphones.
0:14.4	Welcome to The Alley on the Run Show.
0:16.5	I'm your host Allie Feller and every week I talk with people who are doing really cool things
0:21.5	on the run and beyond. We all share that love for running and that's what brings us all together,
0:26.8	but of course there is more to life than what happens on the run itself and this show is about
0:32.5	those in-between. The water stops, the bathroom breaks, the moments and decisions that have shaped
0:37.8	who we are today and how getting sweaty factors in. In today's conversation is so so special.
0:45.1	I guess today is Cynthia Martinez and Cynthia is so many things. She is a 12-time marathoner with a
0:52.5	3-11 personal best time and a 4-time Boston Marathon qualifier. She's run 16 international races.
1:00.0	She's run on four different continents and she has one races in both Thailand and Dubai.
1:06.3	Cynthia is a mom, she's a journalist, she earned her masters in journalism at Columbia,
1:11.8	and now she is producing a film largely inspired by her own life experiences.
1:18.0	First Voice Generation. That is the title of her film which follows the journeys of six
1:24.2	first generation Latinx college students and it highlights how they're overcoming the challenges
1:29.4	of the global pandemic while pursuing higher education. Cynthia is working super hard,
1:35.1	shooting and producing this film and you're going to learn so much more about it in this conversation,
1:39.7	but if you want to learn even more and want to support her project, check out first voice generation
1:46.3	on Instagram. Cynthia is so honest and so vulnerable in this episode. She talks about her own childhood
1:53.8	and the struggles she and her family faced. She talks about abuse in the home, the alcoholism
1:59.0	in the home, and about rebuilding those relationships now as a mother herself. It's really, really
2:04.4	powerful stuff. I am so grateful for this woman, so inspired by this woman, so please join me
	...

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