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Orly Hakimi

@persiangirlrunner

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Battling depression one stride at a time 🏃🏻‍♀️
4/7 WMM Stars ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
I PR’ed in Boston🦄
26.2 X 19 🏅
50K X 2 🏆
2 X Bruin 🐻
UCLA 📰👇🏽

POSTS STORIES REELS

129th BOSTON 💙💛🦄

Marathon Monday: it’s hard to find the right words for a day that felt like it was sprinkled with fairy dust. Magical? Absolutely. A dream? More than that.

Arriving to Hopkinton. Getting to the start line. Crossing that historic start line. Where all the legends, all the historic figures, and top elites have started. It was finally mine to start.

My only “game plan” was to soak in the moment. Everything felt new, yet so familiar—like I’d run this course for years through a TV screen. But this time, I was living it. Every step, every mile, with my feet, heart, and soul.

I tried my best to go slow. Not to burn out. Used the porta potties three times. Very unlike me. But who cares?! I wasn’t going for time. Only to cross the finish line before 5:30pm to be able to have an official time and have my third star count officially for the Abbot World Marathon Majors.

I took a lot of photos. Very unlike me. But I did. I kissed all the Wellesley girls. Had beers with the Boston College boys. Fist-pumped all the kids. FaceTimed my nieces and nephews three to four times. Showed them what I was seeing. Got so much boost from them! @interiors86

When I saw Jocelyn @joselinthewarrior in the first 5K, I told her seeing her was going to be my lucky charm. I was not wrong.

I knew I had to tackle the Newton Hills and of course, the famous Heartbreak Hill. The first hill felt easy. So did the second hill. And by the time I crested Heartbreak, I looked back at the banner and thought, that was IT? That wasn’t too bad. It felt easy. Like a cold glass of water on a hot summer day! @caliragan

With less than 5 miles to go, I looked at my watch and was shocked at how fast I was going. But with every mile, a PR seemed more and more likely. But I didn’t come to Boston to PR?! Or did I?

Rest of caption in the comments 👇🏼 by @persiangirlrunner

Is Hyrox in my future now?? Something that wasn’t even on my radar, is now intriguing me! Oh boy!

HUGE thanks and MASSIVE congratulations, Michael @_ultramichaelli and team! Thank you for giving me this experience. So happy I could be there — and now I’m in trouble!

Guess we’re seriously gonna hit the weights now?! by @persiangirlrunner

Reflections on 2024:

This year began with a fleeting sense of freedom, only to be met with destruction almost immediately after.

I did epic things I only dreamt about—things I’ll likely never speak of—but they left me feeling more alone, more depressed, and more devastated than ever before.

In the process, my heart and soul were shattered beyond recognition, and I found myself standing at the edge, staring down at a cliff with nothing but pain.

I lost more than I thought I could bear. I sacrificed so much of myself. I was forced to give up everything. And I cried—more than I have in all my years combined.

I heard the most vile, soul-crushing words spoken to me and about me. I watched as it felt like a coalition of Orly haters society grew right in front of my eyes. Isolation became my shadow.

The pain has been unbearable. So much so that even my therapist and I are now exploring whether I fall somewhere on a spectrum—searching for answers.

But no diagnosis, no condition, no mistake I’ve ever made could ever justify the cruelty I’ve endured. The punishment hasn’t fit the crime.

Earlier this month, I came close to giving it all up—not because I don’t want to live; I do. I just want this pain to stop. The only thing that kept me here was my Dad. He’s the reason I’m holding on longer.

So before anyone judges me, assumes, criticizes, or dismisses me to throw me away like garbage, I hope they take a moment to consider the weight of their actions and words. You never know the battles someone else is fighting.

What I’ve faced this year broke me beyond repair. My story nearly ended on December 9th. But I’m still here—by the thinnest thread.

I survived 2024 by the skin of my teeth. But I don’t want to simply survive anymore. 2025 has to be different. I refuse to live another year barely holding on.

Please, be kind. You have no idea what someone’s smile might be hiding. by @persiangirlrunner

Went Bear Hunting again, but we both came up short today. Speedy recovery, Bearsun @iambearsun 🧡

I’ve said it before, and I’ll keep saying it: my soul died on April 8th. There’s a hole where my heart used to be, and ever since, every race has been a struggle. Every waking moment. I keep searching for even the smallest glimmer of joy, in anything and everything. So far, nothing.

But I’m still showing up. Sometimes. Seeing if I can find the person I was on April 7th.

Today wasn’t the day. Neither was yesterday, or any of the days before that. More than six months of searching, and I still haven’t found her.

I’m still here. Struggling. Empty. Wearing a fake smile because sometimes, it’s just easier that way.

Thank you, Long Beach Marathon @longbeachmarathon for reminding me that every finish line is earned and nothing is ever owed to you 💜💙🩷

📸 @ericahyper
🎥 @sorayag_777
🎥 @joselinthewarrior by @persiangirlrunner

I’ve spent many years intrigued by routes on STRAVA. Ever since I learned about GPS Art and having created dozens of them over the years, I look for Art everywhere on the roads that me and my friends run, walk, or cycle.

Bruce’s Last Walk on STRAVA wasn’t anything artistic. But the artist in me, the runner in me, the friend in me, saw something profound. So I wanted to retrace those last steps of Bruce in my own way of remembering him. Within a few days, that small idea in my mind turned into something special.

Thank you everyone who came and walked Bruce’s Last Walk with me last night. The turnout was a testament to who Bruce was.

We don’t always remember what people say; but we always remember how they made us feel. 💚🤍 by @persiangirlrunner

Of all the people I have ever had the pleasure of running with, Bruce Rodriguez @bxrod1 was always the funniest person I’ve ever met. The news of his passing hit me hard.

We trained for the 2022 Los Angeles Marathon @lamarathon together. I was at the finish line waiting for him. I watched him cross the finish line and I was beaming with pride. He was in tears and said never again. But he was starting his fitness journey again. And sadly, that second marathon was never meant to be.

I went to the corner where this tragedy occurred today to lay some flowers and pay my respects. I met the neighbor whose house was right beside the incident. She was so sweet. Brought water to put the flowers in, lit the candles that had turned off, and shared with us what she saw. I also met another family member of his who came to bring flowers and candles. We exchanged sweet memories.

I can’t imagine what his family is going through. I wish them strength and comfort.

In his memory, I’ll be going to where he took his last walk and recorded his last activity on STRAVA this coming Wednesday evening. His last walk was last Wednesday, the day before his passing. I invite you to join me.

📅 Wednesday October 7th
⏰ 6:00pm
📍 4343 Duquesne Ave
Culver City, CA 90232
👕 Green + White
👟 Comfortable walking
💧 Please bring water
💡 Bring lights if you have any
🗺️ Roughly 1.8 miles
⛰️ It’s a bit of an uphill– we’ll go slowly

I went to do a test walk today. There are plenty of free street parking there and it’s a good walkable path for a group.

Invite, GoFundMe, STRAVA route are linked in my bio. by @persiangirlrunner

Happy Dolly Parton Day 💕9️⃣2️⃣5️⃣💕

@dollyparton
#9to5Day by @persiangirlrunner

I keep saying I died on April 8th. One hundred and fifty eight days of living inside pure hell. But once in a while you show up to one of the local races that feels like “Cheers” and everyone knows your name. For a few seconds that hell thaws just a tiny bit. I lost count of how many people screamed my name. From the bottom of the hole where my heart used to be: THANK YOU for lifting this broken soul even for a few short moments 🙏🏼

P.S. I highly recommend running both the 10K + 5K back-to-back 🙌🏼

Thank you, Alonso for the beautiful photos!
📸 @alonsoeldiablito

@santamonicaclassic
@lamarathon
@mccourtfoundation
@laroadrunners by @persiangirlrunner

Final stop of SoCal Trails @socaltrail Tour of LA, and after all these years I won! And I won the GRAND PRIZE 🎟️ (and didn’t give it away because I already have a subscription to @live.earthy)

This makes me reconsider my Thanksgiving morning tradition of a road race to the beautiful trails 🤔

Thank you for a great ride. I’ll see you at No Name!

📸 @alonsoeldiablito by @persiangirlrunner

⛰️ F I R S T B U L L D O G ⛰️

ZERO training.
No heat acclimation.
No hill training.
A heart full of grief.
A soul filled with pain.
A river of tears on my face.
No preparation.
Secured my bib at 7:59 am with a start time of 8:00 am (thank you, Daniel @blindhund and Jackie @jackieval10).
Ran out of water the last two miles.

I crossed the finish line and completely broke down. Somehow Ezra @ezraweisz is always there when I need a safe shoulder.

Grateful for my SoCal Trails @socaltrail family who bring small amounts of purpose to the darkest days.

📸 @decerrysphotography & @alonsoeldiablito by @persiangirlrunner

Why drive almost two hours in LA traffic to run just one mile with a group of mostly strangers?

Because May is Mental Health Awareness Month.

Because I’ve wrestled with my own demons for decades.

Because I’ve spent a lifetime being everything to everyone else.

The helper. The caretaker. The supporter. The one who shows up.

And sometimes… the role wants to be seen, too.

So yes, I’ll drive two hours for one mile.

I’ll drive across cities, states, countries, and continents when something matters.

And that’s not hyperbole. I have receipts.

Tonight was about running a mile in uncomfortable clothing to honor those struggling with mental health, those we’ve lost, those still fighting, and those quietly hanging on by the skin of their teeth while the world sees only smiles.

Thank you ASICS, Azusa Pacers @azusapacersofficial, Peter Kim @peterkim.photos, and A Snail’s Pace @asprunning for creating space for conversations that matter ❤️‍🩹👖

Run a Blue Jean Mile this month.

For someone you love.

For someone you lost.

For yourself.

Or for the stranger beside you whose battle you’ll never see. by @persiangirlrunner

When life isn’t so kind and training gets derailed, muscle memory kicks in and reminds you that what you spent decades building doesn’t just vanish in a few months. Scotty @runwithscotty 💯

Thank you, Andrew @acalasanz for being by my side! We did that 🎯

Thank you, LA Road Runners @laroadrunners and Coach David Levine @coach_davidlevine for all the support.

Venice Beach Half Marathon @vbhalfmarathon I’ll see you next year! by @persiangirlrunner