New York City Marathon Will be a Lifelong Memory for Au Pair
Posted on Thursday, November 17th, 2016 at 9:31 pm.
By Victor Da Costa, J-1 au pair from Spain
Victor Da Costa shows off his New York City Marathon medal.
The TCS New York City Marathon for me has been more than a race or just some other achievement. It was about coming back to New York, a city that was my home during my first year as an au pair. It is a city where I have some of the best of memories – my amazing host family, some great friends, and a lot of walks around the city.
I trained for the race in Seattle, Washington. This city was fantastic for training for this marathon because there are big hills, mountains, beautiful lakes and a lot of different outdoor activities that enticed you to go outside and run. It’s just you and the landscape. It works like magic. Training didn’t feel like training, but instead a chance to explore my surroundings and enjoy nature.
Victor Da Costa running the New York City Marathon
The night before the race I set-up two different alarms on each of my gadgets, which might sound funny. The main reason was daylight-savings time, where Americans turn back their clocks one hour. I didn’t want to oversleep that day.
Victor Da Costa giving high-fives while he runs
Before the race, I was excited with too many feelings going on at the same time. The good thing about that: I was full of energy to conquer the 26.2 miles running in the beautiful city of New York.
During the entire race, I saw friends, runners from my country, fellow au pairs, and a lot of different people working for Cultural Care Au Pair. All of them were there to support and cheer me on. Even though it was only for a short time, it gave me more energy to keep running and to conquer this long and tough test. Seeing supporters along the race course motivated me to keep running and look forward to seeing other people along the race course. With their support, the 26.2 miles felt relatively short — but it is still long.
Along the way, you run next to the New York City skyline. You see one of the photographers and give her a smile for the picture. You arrive at Central Park, and you know that the race is almost done. You cross the finish line and put your arms up in the air in memory of a person who is no longer with you, but was in your heart and thoughts through every step taken. All these different moments transform this race into a lifelong memory.
Victor Da Costa shares his excitement about running the New York City Marathon at marathon welcome reception for J-1 volunteers
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| About Rebecca Pasini Deputy Assistant Secretary for Private Sector Exchange | |
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Rebecca A. Pasini joined the Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs as the Deputy Assistant Secretary for Private Sector Exchanges in July 2023. A career member of the Senior Foreign Service, Class of Minister - Counselor, Ms. Pasini has been an American diplomat since 1997.
Ms. Pasini previously served as the Director of Public and Congressional Affairs in the Bureau of Consular Affairs from 2021-2023. Other Washington assignments have included positions in the Bureau of Consular Affairs, the Bureau of Western Hemisphere Affairs, the Office of Foreign Missions, and as a liaison to the Department of Homeland Security. She has also completed multiple overseas tours, including as Minister Counselor for Consular Affairs in Islamabad, Pakistan, and as the Consular Chief in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil and Belfast, Northern Ireland. Other tours included Mexico City and Kuwait.
A Maryland native, Ms. Pasini has a Ph.D. in Political Science from Indiana University, a master’s degree in National Security and Resource Strategy from the Eisenhower School, National Defense University, and an undergraduate degree from Mary Washington College.
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