Not-wanting-anything-more Elma gets HoF nod

Elma Muros-Posadas in action during the 2001 Southeast Asian Games. —INQUIRER FILE PHOTO

Elma Muros-Posadas was cooking lunch for her family when news came out that she was going to be inducted into the Philippine Sports Hall of Fame (HoF). That morning, she and husband Jojo chanced upon fresh tulingan in the market and decided to cook it in coconut milk, using the same recipe she grew up with back in Magdiwang, Romblon province.

That’s a typical day for the legendary athlete who captured 15 Southeast Asian Games (SEAG) gold medals as well as the hearts of Filipino sporting fans through the years.

“We are living simply, we don’t have anything to ask for,” Muros-Posadas told the Inquirer. “I already have everything. And this Hall of Fame award, that means I belong with the greatest.”Muros-Posadas joins Olympic medalists Roel Velasco and Leopoldo Serrantes, Robert Jaworkski, Arianne Cerdeña and Eric Buhain in the fourth batch of inductees.

They will be formally enshrined May 29.

“This means a lot,” said her husband and ex-coach, Jojo, who molded her into a track and field superhero back in the 80s. For Muros-Posadas, the HoF is the ultimate prize an athlete could achieve. “I thought that maybe they consider just the Olympic medalists. But I think it mattered to them that I won golds in the World Masters and now help the grassroots,” she said in Filipino. Muros-Posadas won SEAG golds in long jump, heptathlon, hurdles and sprints. Her total SEAG titles is a record that still stands.

Great home life, too

Philippine sports’ most notable husband-and-wife team is still busy coaching Jose Rizal University and the University of the Philippines.

Things are going well at home, too.

Their eldest child, Klarrize, just graduated with her masters course in child development in New York. The youngest, George Jr., is finishing high school at Brent International School where he plays track and field and volleyball.

Despite her accolades, Muros-Posadas never thought of herself as a sporting superstar whose life story has been made into a movie.

“These days, I don’t care if people recognize me in the streets or not,” said Muros-Posadas. “But in the (HoF) awards night, I have to make sure I look my best.” INQ