Barrio Athletics: South Central runners inspiring health and change in the community

Who said the barrio couldn’t get fit? Henry Gallardo, a 24-year-old South L.A. native, is making a difference in his community by founding Barrio Athletics and showing that fitness and well-being are not only possible but essential in every barrio.

What initially started as Gallardo just running through his community has now turned into a group of runners. “Honestly, I don't even know what is going to come or what it's going to create,” said Gallardo.

This past Sunday, Barrio Athletics met for its second run meetup in South Los Angeles Wetland Park, with about 100 people showed up. The meetup consisted of stretching, a 2.5-mile run, a cool-down with a concha, merchandise giveaways and lunch from TortaMovil.

Erica Arisvedi, another South Central native, found out about Barrio Athletics through Instagram. “I love the community, so to see a lot of people here together doing the same thing that I love, I don't know; there's no words to describe it,” she said.

Like many who came to the United States seeking a better life, Gallardo's Guatemalan parents immigrated in the late 1980s. Being a first-generation himself, Gallardo said that his parents raised him the best that they could.

 “I did well in high school and I graduated from UCLA. Now I'm creating running videos in South Central because I got inspired by the Raw Dog Run Club that's in Austin, Texas, and I'm like, ‘Oh, if they could do it in Texas. Why can't we do it in South Central L.A.?’” Gallardo said.

Inspired by other running groups, Gallardo did his own research and realized there wasn’t anything like that in his community. “There's no fitness brand or anything athletic in the hood and Barrio Athletics is not about me; it’s all about the people in the community,” he said.

Joanna Morales isone of the many experienced runners who attended Sunday’s run meetup. She said she has been following the brand on Instagram. “I'm here for the first time. I'm training every day for runs, so this was like an easy run for me today, but it was overall a good experience,” Morales said.

Although Barrio Athletics has only been around for two months, Gallardo said he works on his running group and brand every day. “I'm just happy but it wouldn't be possible without everybody,” he said.

Richard Del Carmen, a close friend of Gallardo's, is supporting the community group of runners by sponsoring free, delicious conchas from his family-owned bakery, La Panadería Michoacana.

The bakery, which is known for its authentic Mexican pastries and traditional sweet bread, has been serving the community for over 30 years. “Anytime somebody talks about the store, they talk about it as la Panaderia de la Maple,” he said.

Del Carmen reached out to Gallardo because he recognized his deep involvement in the community and felt that collaborating with Barrio Athletics would align with their shared mission of giving back and making a positive impact.

Yolanda Ronquillo, Gallardo 's mother, proudly shared how her son is creating an educational initiative for the community that encourages health and wellness. “La comunidad está respondiendo porque es algo muy sano, y pues esto es algo muy emocionante para mí, porque las personas están saliendo a correr , a caminar, a tener un tiempecito para compartir con la comunidad, porque todos somos una comunidad acá,” said Ronquillo.

Gallardo said that highlighting the importance of health and fitness in the Latino community is essential. He explained that many of his family members have faced chronic conditions such as diabetes, which is one of the many reasons he ran cross country in high school. “Creating change is just about doing something positive and I think you can find that with fitness and health. And I think it's really important because it's not only your physical; it's your mental health, too,” said Gallardo. “If you feel good, like physically, you're going to feel good mentally and it's just going to be a healthy lifestyle overall.”

For Gallardo, Barrio Athletics goes beyond being just a team of runners or a brand; it’s something much more personal and close to home. When asked, “What is Barrio Athletics?” His response is, “It’s everyone who is making it happen.”

Next time you are in the South Central and come across a large Latino group of runners, just know that it's Barrio Athletics.