Triathlete Andrew Kim Remolino was able to retrieve his Southeast Asian Games silver medal from a heap of ashes after their home in Talisay, Cebu province, was gutted by fire.
Though the medal may have lost the shimmer it once had, Remolino’s most prized possession in his trophy room survived the blaze that wiped out all of the medals he won since childhood.“Luckily, I was able to retrieve my [SEA Games] silver medal,” said the 20-year-old Remolino, who lives with his parents and three other siblings. “I’m really thankful that nobody in my family got hurt.’’
The Philippine Sports Commission and the Philippine Olympic Committee (POC) immediately came to the rescue, with POC president Abraham Tolentino pledging P100,000 to the Remolino family, including P50,000 from his own pocket.
Sports patron Jeremy Go of the Go For Gold program initiated an online auction for the benefit of the Remolino family while Triathlon Association of the Philippines president Tom Carrasco said help would certainly arrive.“We don’t know yet what caused the fire. But with the help of the sports community and our friends, we can begin picking up the pieces and start all over again,” said Remolino, whose family is now staying at the house of his grandmother. INQ