The IronKids waiting for gunstart. Photos by Tristan Tamayo/INQUIRER.net
SUBIC, Zambales—The sun hadn’t fully risen yet on one Saturday morning here in Subic but a massive throng of young athletes had already converged at Remy Field.
More than 800 kids aged six to 14-years-old participated in the annual Alaska IronKids swim/run race in this coastal city where a couple of up and coming young stars ruled the event.
Zedrick Borja ruled the 13 to 14-year-old boys’ division clocking in at 18:21.9, nearly 20 seconds faster than the silver medal winner, while Samantha Corpuz conquered the 13 to 14-year-old girls’ division, finishing the course at 19:01.4, more than three minutes ahead of the second-fastest female.
Coach Ani De Leon-Brown, one of the organizers and pioneers of the sport, said seeing nearly a thousand kids get up before the crack of dawn and go through a physical adventure speaks volumes of what the future holds for the younger generation.
De Leon-Brown said kids who started as early as possible in any sporting endeavor already set the foundation of a healthy lifestyle for years to come.
“If you can encourage your kids, even if they’re not competitive, even if they’re not racing Ironkids for example, it’s really a good time to teach that skill [swimming]… it’s easier to establish that fitness routine because later on it would be harder to start,” said De Leon-Brown.
“If they’re used to that, their bodies are used to activity, it’s a healthy habit they can take on to adulthood.”
Setting children up for an early start in any sport could very well pave the way for a potential career especially in the current landscape of triathlon where the sport has fully entrenched itself in the public’s consciousness.
The two-time World Championships qualifier said they didn’t have a role model in the Philippines but with so many other personalities thriving in the sport, she’s positive the younger athletes have someone to look up to.
“Everyone has their own specific path but personally when I was starting we didn’t have that many role models,” said De Leon-Brown. “It’s really great that kids can realize ‘oh this is what we can become, we can be similar to that person.’”
“They know what’s possible and that’s great.”