Read The Freeman story by Caecent Noot-Magsumbol.
Read the Sun.Star Cebu article by Edri Aznar.
Read The Freeman story by Caecent Noot-Magsumbol.
Read the Sun.Star Cebu article by Edri Aznar.
The death last Sunday of Miguel Vasquez while swimming the Ironman 70.3 race in Camarines Sur was shocking. It was tragic. But apart from that horrifying story, there were plenty of good news to report. Topping them all was Noy Jopson, who has called Cebu home for many years now since marrying fellow triathlete Amale Mendezona. Among the hundreds of Filipino competitors in CamSur, Nonoy emerged No.1.
At 10:52 a.m. last Sunday, I received this shocking text message: “My friend drowned in ironman swim. Died. Miguel Vasquez.”
Gerry Malixi, who competed in the 1.9-km. swim category of the country’s first-ever Ironman 70.3 triathlon race, was in Camarines Sur. I immediately called.
“I was chatting with Miguel five minutes before the swim started,” said Gerry. “We were joking around. We kidded each other saying to be careful of each other’s elbows in the swim. We then joked on who would treat the other for lunch after. Senator Pia Cayetano was with us.”
(Photo from www.spot.ph)
Rening Ylaya is 73 years old. Nothing unusual about that. There are plenty of senior citizens walking around town. But Rening doesn’t walk… he runs. He runs 10Ks, he runs 21Ks, he runs fast, and, come January, he’s planning to join the Cebu City Marathon and run for 42 kilometers. Read this great write-up by Sun.Star Cebu online editor (and fellow runner) Max Limpag… “At 73, Ylaya keeps beating runners half his age.”
The United States Practical Shooting Association (USPSA) defines “Practical Shooting” as “attempts to measure the ability to shoot rapidly and accurately with a full power handgun, rifle, and/or shotgun. Those three elements – speed, accuracy, and power – form the three sides of the practical shooting triangle.”
I’ll make a confession: I never liked guns. Footballs, running shoes, a chess board, the go-karts in Kartzone, the swimming pool at the Casino Español, the Babolat tennis racquet—all these sporting equipment and athletic venues I loved….. except guns.
That all changed in the past two weeks. First, inside the Centurion Security Agency, Inc. firing range in Talamban where Jake Mendez, Dr. Ron Eullaran, Rommel Desnacido, Dr. Ronnie Medalle and myself pulled triggers on weapons nicknamed “9mm” and “M4” and “1911.” That was 15 days ago.
Dr. Ron, John and Dr. Ronnie
Read this New York Times story.
Thanks to Cerrone Dayo, my good friend (and fellow marathoner) from the U.S., for emailing me this “fight.” Check out the Toughest Athlete contest.