“I was holding back tears whilst on the phone to my wife Tasha, sharing my joy of being at the start line of TSP.
Honestly, before leaving, I had a heavy heart about leaving Tasha and our two kids, but one thing she said gave me strength: ‘You can do it; TSP is your dream. It’s right in front of you; you have to go.’
This was enough to help me stay strong through the 14-hour time difference and being away for over 15 days. Because Tasha knew that TSP was my biggest dream as a running photographer.
TSP is pretty big in Indonesia. In 2020, I won the Audience Winner No Name Photo Contest, which was one of the moments that changed my life. I was so proud.
In 2021, I documented BR20, a running crew from Bandung, Indonesia, who participated in TSP DIY. I didn’t just take photos; I also made videos. And that same year, I entered the photo contest again. The difference was that in 2020, I was the only Indonesian photographer to make it to the voting round, while in 2021, there were four of us who made it to the top 32!
Then my journey with TSP bore fruit again. For 2024, I got the LALV Grant. My dream of coming to LA came true. A dream I had since 2018 was finally fulfilled, and that’s what made me hold back my tears at the start.
Back to the start line, I was truly freezing. It felt surreal. Seeing everyone ready to take on LALV was infectious.
My brain was like, ‘this is it, your time has come’.” —ALIF
Reflections from LALV 24.
@lifghif
#NORULES #NOSPECTATORS #ITWASBETTERNEXTYEAR 
