• Privacy Policy
  • Contact Us
  • Login
  • Register
  • Home
  • Archive
  • Contact Us
No Result
View All Result
  • Home
  • Archive
  • Contact Us
No Result
View All Result
No Result
View All Result
Home Uncategorized

FOR OLYMPIAN GRIJALVA, COMPETITION TRAVEL PRESENTS SPECIAL CHALLENGES By David Monti (c) 2022 Race Results Weekly, all rights reserved, used with permission.

Race Results Weeklyby Race Results Weekly
May 20, 2022
0
0 0
0
SHARES
10
VIEWS
Share on FacebookShare on Twitter

This is a fascinating story by David Monti on Luis Grijalva, who is a very talented runner, living in US for twenty-two of his twenty-three years. Amazing kudos to Flynn Sports for supporting Luis and hats off to HOKA ONE ONE for supporting this young talent, as he has to deal with the chance of not being let back into the US without some very delicate legal maneuvering. We used this piece with permission of Race Results Weekly.

Grijalva_Luis_Millrose_2022_3000m_Mid_Race_Jane_Monti_With_Credit.jpeg

RelatedPosts

Coffee with Larry, Episode 760, Nike Pre Classic, July 1, 2025 

Speed, Surprises, and Unforgettable Finishes at New Balance Nationals Outdoor

SPRINTING TO SUCCESS FOR GB&NI TEAM ON DAY 2 OF THE EUROPEAN TEAM CHAMPS

Luis Grijalva, Millrose 2022, photo by Jane Monti, Race Results Weekly, used with permission.

FOR OLYMPIAN GRIJALVA, COMPETITION TRAVEL PRESENTS SPECIAL CHALLENGES
By David Monti
(c) 2022 Race Results Weekly, all rights reserved, used with permission.

(17-May) — Former Northern Arizona University star Luis Grijalva is coming off of an outstanding 2021 track season, and he has a lot to celebrate. The 23 year-old took second in the NCAA Championships 5000m, lowered his personal best at that distance to 13:10.09, and finished 12th in the Tokyo Olympic final in the same discipline. He also signed a pro contract with Hoka One One and settled into a comfortable life living and training in the running mecca of Flagstaff, Ariz., where he went to college.

“I’m in a good place right now,” Grijalva told Race Results Weekly in a telephone interview last Thursday.

But as one of the approximately 700,000 “Dreamers” residing in the United States –children of immigrant parents who came to the United States at a young age– life for Grijalva can be complicated, especially when it comes to traveling to international competitions. Under the federal government’s DACA program (Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals) Grijalva can remain in the United States without fear of deportation to his native Guatemala, and move about freely within the 50 states and other USA territories. But if he needs to travel overseas to compete, he faces a daunting and expensive approvals process which can take months. It’s frustrating for a young man who has spent nearly his entire live in the United States and doesn’t have any of the rights of citizenship or even those granted to permanent residents, so-called “green card” holders.

“To be honest I feel as American as anyone who has lived in America,” said Grijalva, who went to Armijo High School in Fairfield, Calif. “Only because I was born two countries below America, like, I’ve been here since I was a year-old. I’m currently 23 years-old now, so 22 years living in the United States I feel as American as anybody else who wasn’t born here.”

For Grijalva –whose name is pronounced “Gre-HAHL-vah”– getting to the Tokyo Olympics required an extraordinary effort. He had to hire an immigration lawyer, Jessica Smith Bobadilla, and request special permission to travel outside of the USA from U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS). This type of permission can take up to six months to approve, and Grijalva only had a few weeks after setting his Olympic Games qualifying mark last June. His manager, Ray Flynn of Flynn Sports Management, put his firm’s full effort into helping Grijalva and got the attention of two legislators, Rep. Tom O’Halleran and Sen. Mark Kelly of Arizona, whose staffs helped push his application forward. Grijalva received his permission to travel just days before flying to Tokyo.

“We hired Jessica July 1st, and I believe I got the permit the 25th,” Grijalva recounted. “It was on a Monday. Three days later I had to fly to Tokyo. Usually for people in my situation, you have to get the permit six months in advance; we did it in 25 days.”

Unfortunately, the permission to travel to Tokyo was only applicable for that trip and Grijalva has to apply again each time he wants to leave the United States. The required lead time of up to six months is impractical because organizers of athletics meetings don’t usually work that far ahead on inviting athletes. Indeed, athletes are often added to meets just days in advance. For Grijalva that would be impossible.

Working with the Wanda Diamond League meeting organizers in Oslo (June 16) and Stockholm (June 30), Flynn secured invitations for Grijalva for both meetings back in March, then set about to get his travel permission set up. The process is ongoing.

“Luis needs something called “advance parole” filed with the Immigration & Naturalization Service,” Flynn explained in an e-mail. “For this, we retained an immigration lawyer who has again made the application. We requested and received early confirmation from the Bislett Games (Oslo) and DN Galen (Stockholm) Diamond League meets that Luis was invited as one of the world’s top athletes.”

As he grinds out his miles in Flagstaff, Grijalva has no choice but to wait on the outcome of his most recent request to travel.

“That’s the issue with DACA,” Grijalva lamented. “Anytime I want to leave the country and go back and forth I have to reapply for the same permit. A lot of people thought when I went to the Olympics and I got the permit, a lot of people thought it was a one-time thing and I’d be good for the rest of my life. I have to do that process every single time if I ever want to leave the country. It kind of sucks because it’s my job to compete with the best people in the world. It’s a struggle I have to face in the future now.”

Grijalva said that his sponsor, Hoka One One, has been very supportive. His contract includes special funding for immigration work which isn’t cheap.

“Lawyers have to get paid,” said Grijalva. “I hired Jessica because she’s one of the best in the business. She knows exactly what to do and that’s what got me into the Olympics in the first place. As a budget, I have to spend over three grand to hire her in the first place and all the paperwork. Some paperwork doesn’t go through and you have to reapply, and there’s a fee. You have to pay for the DACA fee which is about $700. Total, it’s almost like four grand or so.”

Like all DACA recipients, Grijalva has no direct path available to him to achieve U.S. citizenship, except through marriage to an American citizen. DACA is only a temporary measure. Like other dreamers, Grijalva has learned to live with his uncertain status and is grateful for the support system he has.

“The way I think about it I’m pretty fortunate enough to have the resources to help me out with the lawyer fees,” Grijalva said. “But imagine someone else who is a dreamer as well who doesn’t have the same resources and has to come out of pocket, had to pay their way to go to something. It might not be the Olympics, but it might be something greater with even more significant meaning to them. This is a difficult situation and I can’t imagine how other dreamers feel when they have to leave the country.”

For Grijalva’s next race he’ll only need a domestic ticket. He’s running the 5000m at the Prefontaine Classic in Eugene on May 28, the Wanda Diamond League’s only stop in the United States. Grijalva is excited to represent Hoka in what is America’s most important invitational athletics meeting.

“I thought these companies were going to be afraid that I was on DACA,” Grijalva said. “Hoka was super-supportive. They were just really thoughtful in my situation.” He continued: “They’re just super-happy. They’re the type of people you want to work with.”

Author

  • Justin Lagat

    Since 2013, Justin Lagat has written for RunBlogRun. His weekly column is called A view from Kenya. Justin writes about the world of Kenyan athletics on a weekly basis and during championships, provides us additional insights into the sport.

    View all posts
Previous Post

2022 Muller British Grand Prix/ Birmingham Diamond League: Event by Event Preview, Super Men’s 100m expected!

Next Post

2022 RunBlogRun Spring Middle Distance Daily Track Training (800m-5000m), Week 19, Day 6

Justin Lagat

Justin Lagat

Since 2013, Justin Lagat has written for RunBlogRun. His weekly column is called A view from Kenya. Justin writes about the world of Kenyan athletics on a weekly basis and during championships, provides us additional insights into the sport.

Similar Post

FARAH SAYS SUNDAY’S LONDON MARATHON WILL BE HIS LAST
Athletic History

This Day in Track & Field History, July 13, Jim Thorpe Wins Olympic Decathlon (3 Day event), 1912, Dave Bedford breaks 10,000m WR (1973), written and compiled by Walt Murphy

July 14, 2025
Ten Questions to Eilidh Doyle…(from the RBR Archives 2021)
Interviews

Ten Questions to Eilidh Doyle…(from the RBR Archives 2021)

July 14, 2025
Eilidh Doyle-Passing the Baton, A Documentary Film Edited and Filmed by Urbane Media for Scottish Athletics
Interviews

Eilidh Doyle-Passing the Baton, A Documentary Film Edited and Filmed by Urbane Media for Scottish Athletics

July 14, 2025
Jemma Reekie reviews 2024
Cross Country

2025 Summer Mileage Program, July 13, 2025, Week One, Day Seven, getting in some miles.

July 14, 2025
Magnifiscent Monaco! Bol 51.95 WL, Wanyonyi 1:41.44 WL, Lyles defeated Tebogo
Diamond League

Magnifiscent Monaco! Bol 51.95 WL, Wanyonyi 1:41.44 WL, Lyles defeated Tebogo

July 12, 2025
Monaco Herculis Diamond League Meeting, the intro
Diamond League

Meeting International d’Athlétisme Herculis EBS Stade Louis II, Monaco (MON), 11 July 2025

July 12, 2025

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

Subscribe to RunBlogRun's Global News Feed

Wake up to RunBlogRun’s news in your inbox. Sign up for our newsletter and we’ll keep you informed about the Sport you love.

*we hate spam as much as you do

  • Trending
  • Comments
  • Latest
Clyde Hart’s Guide to 400 meter training (from 1996 Super Clinic Notes/World Coaches Notes)

Clyde Hart’s Guide to 400 meter training (from 1996 Super Clinic Notes/World Coaches Notes)

April 5, 2023
2023 Nike Pre Classic: Two Amazing Days of Track & Field!

Noah Lyles, The Clock Doesn’t Lie

March 7, 2024
Grand Slam Track’s Kingston Slam Comes to a Close with 12 Slam Champions

2025 Spring Racing/Training Program, April 11, 2025, week 4, day 5, fourth week of year, Friday is an easy day!

April 12, 2025
USATF / Day Four:  USA’s Assembled Team Is Ready!

Abby Steiner replies via twitter, on the curiosity about her new professional running contract

February 6, 2025
Mondo Duplantis and the Jump that made him the greatest of all time

Mondo Duplantis and the Jump that made him the greatest of all time

8
What happened to the crowd at Eugene?

What happened to the crowd at Eugene?

7
My Five Biggest Takeaways from the Men’s Olympic Trials Marathon, by Oliver Hinson

My Five Biggest Takeaways from the Men’s Olympic Trials Marathon, by Oliver Hinson

7
Asafa Powell, Considering Longevity in Sprinting

The RunBlogrun Interview: Asafa Powell

5
FARAH SAYS SUNDAY’S LONDON MARATHON WILL BE HIS LAST

This Day in Track & Field History, July 13, Jim Thorpe Wins Olympic Decathlon (3 Day event), 1912, Dave Bedford breaks 10,000m WR (1973), written and compiled by Walt Murphy

July 14, 2025
Ten Questions to Eilidh Doyle…(from the RBR Archives 2021)

Ten Questions to Eilidh Doyle…(from the RBR Archives 2021)

July 14, 2025
Eilidh Doyle-Passing the Baton, A Documentary Film Edited and Filmed by Urbane Media for Scottish Athletics

Eilidh Doyle-Passing the Baton, A Documentary Film Edited and Filmed by Urbane Media for Scottish Athletics

July 14, 2025
Jemma Reekie reviews 2024

2025 Summer Mileage Program, July 13, 2025, Week One, Day Seven, getting in some miles.

July 14, 2025

Popular Stories

  • Clyde Hart’s Guide to 400 meter training (from 1996 Super Clinic Notes/World Coaches Notes)

    Clyde Hart’s Guide to 400 meter training (from 1996 Super Clinic Notes/World Coaches Notes)

    0 shares
    Share 0 Tweet 0
  • Noah Lyles, The Clock Doesn’t Lie

    0 shares
    Share 0 Tweet 0
  • 2025 Spring Racing/Training Program, April 11, 2025, week 4, day 5, fourth week of year, Friday is an easy day!

    0 shares
    Share 0 Tweet 0
  • Abby Steiner replies via twitter, on the curiosity about her new professional running contract

    0 shares
    Share 0 Tweet 0
  • An epic pole vault competition

    0 shares
    Share 0 Tweet 0
FARAH SAYS SUNDAY’S LONDON MARATHON WILL BE HIS LAST
Athletic History

This Day in Track & Field History, July 13, Jim Thorpe Wins Olympic Decathlon (3 Day event), 1912, Dave Bedford breaks 10,000m WR (1973), written and compiled by Walt Murphy

July 14, 2025
Ten Questions to Eilidh Doyle…(from the RBR Archives 2021)
Interviews

Ten Questions to Eilidh Doyle…(from the RBR Archives 2021)

July 14, 2025
Eilidh Doyle-Passing the Baton, A Documentary Film Edited and Filmed by Urbane Media for Scottish Athletics
Interviews

Eilidh Doyle-Passing the Baton, A Documentary Film Edited and Filmed by Urbane Media for Scottish Athletics

July 14, 2025
Jemma Reekie reviews 2024
Cross Country

2025 Summer Mileage Program, July 13, 2025, Week One, Day Seven, getting in some miles.

July 14, 2025

Recent Tweets

Next Post

2022 RunBlogRun Spring Middle Distance Daily Track Training (800m-5000m), Week 19, Day 6

runblogrun

RunBlogRun comments on the global world of athletics, sports & ethics, and the Olympic movement. @runblogrun

Browse by Category

Newsletter

Subscribe to our mailing list to receives daily updates direct to your inbox!

  • Home
  • Archive
  • Contact Us

© 2022 Run Blog Run - All Rights Reserved

No Result
View All Result
  • Archive
  • Contact Us
  • Home page
  • My Account
  • Sample Page

© 2022 Run Blog Run - All Rights Reserved

Welcome Back!

Login to your account below

Forgotten Password? Sign Up

Create New Account!

Fill the forms below to register

Select a password for yourself. (minimum length of 8)

Paste here the user biography.

Provide here the twitter screen name. i.e. @RunBlogRun

Provide here the instagram screen name. i.e. @RunBlogRun

Provide here the facebook profile URL. i.e. http://www.facebook.com/RunBlogRun

Provide here the linkedin profile URL. i.e. https://www.linkedin.com/in/larry-eder-5497253

All fields are required. Log In

Retrieve your password

Please enter your username or email address to reset your password.

Log In

Add New Playlist

No Result
View All Result
  • Archive
  • Contact Us
  • Home page
  • My Account
  • Sample Page

© 2022 Run Blog Run - All Rights Reserved