FINA World Championship Career Highlights

Finalist

4x50m Free Relay

01:33.12

12th World Championship (SC), UAE

12.06.14

Southeast Asian Games Career Highlights ( 1 Bronze )

Bronze

4x100m Free Relays

03:27.95

26th Southeast Asian Games, INA

11.14.11

SEA Age Group Swimming Championship Career Highlights ( 1 Gold & 1 Silver )

Gold

100m Butterfly 16-18 Boys

00:57.53

33rd SEA Age Group Championship, MAS

06.04.09

Silver

50m Butterfly 16-18 Boys

00:26.27

33rd SEA Age Group Championship, MAS

06.05.09

Describe yourself :

Outside my sport, I’m a pretty laid back person. I love chilling and just working on creative stuff. I’m a person who also doesn’t share his thoughts but my closest friends know how vast my mind is or weird I can be. Sometimes when i’m at my weirdest and my mind is just running I can easily write a poem or song in 5 minutes. I’m also a very competitive person. It doesn’t matter if its swimming, basketball,frisbee or a simple game of table tennis I would make sure that I’d give it my best to win. I just love challenges in general, it doesn’t matter if its in the sport of swimming or in life. Challenges gives me the adrenaline and that…makes me feel alive.

What side or character of yours that would most likely surprise others?

How crazy or weird I can be with the people I trust,that i’m poetic and an introvert.

What age did you start swimming? What brought you to the sport of swimming?

I started the learn to swim program when I was 8 and started training when I was around 9. My mom used to tell me how she had problems because whenever we visit a pool, I would often play to a point where I don’t want to go home. That I was happy the most when I’m in the water. When I was young, I would also often get confined in a hospital due to a chronic inflammatory disease or what you call asthma. The doctor recommended swimming to my parents to make my lungs stronger and hopefully suppress the disease.

During your early years of swimming, have you ever thought that you will reach where you are now today as a swimmer? Why?

Honestly, when I was younger I didn’t give as much thought about swimming.. I remember always being in the last part of the names in the results. I remember praying that if it’s God’s will and He helped me, I’ll make sure to use the platform to share His greatness. That was the start of me wanting to reach something… I also used to train because I want to spend time with my friends. Them being SEA AGE swimmers, I had to work hard to make sure I don’t get left behind while they all go to other countries representing the Philippines. Only at the age of 15 did I really fall in love with the sport and started having goals and in that age I started claiming to God that with Him, I can do anything and achieve my dreams.

What do you think are the factors that makes you a successful swimmer?

If i’ll share three things, it’ll be

1. Faith – In some athletes, its self belief, but in my case… Its faith in God. That I have someone greater than anything i’ll ever face. That in Him, I find strength, confidence and hope. That’s why I don’t have a limit because my God is limitless.

2. Passion & self motivation – I love the sport and I’m addicted to it. I love the fact that you have to put in the effort to get something out in the meet. I love every scientific part of the sport. There’s this sensation that I feel in swimming that makes me feel alive and it points to self motivation. I believe that athletes have to have, not just outer motivation from their coaches or parents but also, inner motivation. That motivation or passion to go to the pool and face that black T line every single day. To motivate themselves to get the most out of each training. It’s not about how many times you train in a week or a year but how much effort or thought you put in every single day you’re in the pool. The passion and motivation from yourself to improve your craft and be better or be the best you can be.

3. Work ethic – As an athlete, you have to know your strength but never view yourself as the best. Consistency is key. I would always work hard in the pool, because I know that my competitors from other countries are also working hard. Growing up with coaches telling me that I wasn’t made to swim, that I lack heart when I compete, telling me that its the end of my career, those things made me work harder and taught me how not to be contented. I’m thankful to those coaches, because if it wasn’t for them I wouldn’t want to be the best. Swimming can be simple in a way that, what effort you put in the training is what you get out in the meet. So working hard is a must in the sport.

What’s your most memorable experience as a swimmer?

As a swimmer and as a person, my most memorable experience would be back in 2009. The story is, a coach who has the authority told me that my career would end if I part ways with him, it made me rely on God in a way that I dedicated my whole life and swimming to the Lord and when the 2009 SEA AGE came, a few months after the parting… even though my prayer was only to make the people see how great my God is and how He used me. God blessed me with more than what I prayed for. I won gold in my last year even though I have never won a medal in that said meet, God reconciled my relationship with the coach as he hugged me and said he’s proud of my swim and lastly the president of the Philippine swimming held a meeting with the parents and told them how he saw me pray before swimming and saw how God helped me. It was memorable because it changed my whole life and perspective. The latest one was last year in the FINA SC WORLD CHAMPIONSHIPS, being part of the historical relay.

Apart from being a Summer Olympian, what is(are) your other goal(s) as a swimmer?

To influence other swimmers and Christians to work hard for their dreams. To never stop believing and to inspire generations. I believe that we humans all have the power to influence. How we use it is something we should think about.

Was there ever a time that you thought of quitting swimming? Why?

Never did. I may stop competitive swimming but I won’t ever “quit” the sport of swimming. Swimming is the platform that God used to make me become closer to Him, its the sport that taught me the most about life and its a good way to stay healthy. So the pool will always have a special place in my heart.

Who do you look up to as a swimmer? why?

I always check and observe or study how Olympian champions swim, but I’d say that the one I really look up to in swimming would be my students. They inspire me to become the best that I can be. They make me strive harder in life so that I can continue to inspire them. They’re the closest friends I have.

Any specific routines before and during the meet or before a swim? what are these?

I would always start my meet or make sure I read the Bible everyday. In the ready bench I would always pray and focus on God, also stretch and keep myself loose. When I’m behind the blocks, I have this routine where I slap my chest, arms and legs to hype myself up followed by a prayer and a finger pointing up the sky while looking at the sky. Its me talking to God. leaving everything up to Him.

Please share some words of wisdom for swimmers who wish to be like you.

1. Follow your dreams – No one said it’ll be easy, but every journey hardship and trial you face becomes all worth it when you get there.

2. Step out in and by faith – In Psalms 11. when adversity came and King David was being hunted by His own son, his advisers told him to flee to a mountain, and in response he told them ” why do you tell me to flee like a bird to a mountain” Have faith in God. that trial or circumstance that you’re facing is small if you fix your eyes on God. Faith can move mountains. Just allow God to help you, He will surprise you.

3. Have fun – We all started the sport because we love it to begin with. Never lose sight of it. Try to enjoy every training session. There is joy in working hard and seeing the fruits of your labor.

Message to your supporters :

Thanks for always believing that anything is possible. I appreciate every congratulations, good luck and God bless that comes from you guys. It always fuels me to race the best I can. God bless you guys always!