JANUARY-FEBRUARY2014

FR

EE

!

THE

MOSTINFLUENTIAL

PEOPLEIN PHILIPPINE

TRIATHLON

17 BREAKING THE CHEATER’S CODEBAKIT ANG SARAP MANGDAYA

FREDUYTENGSU

THE MAN BEHIND IRONMAN

THE REIGNOF THETRI DIVAHOW TO STYLISHLY DITCHTHE STEREOTYPE

EDITOR-IN-CHIEF : Monching RomanoMANAGING EDITOR : Christian Obmerga EDITORIAL CONSULTANT : Richelle Joson-Ligot COPY EDITOR : Kabel Mishka LigotART DIRECTOR : Emmeline SiaCONTRIBUTORS : Bobby Go Nancy Chu-Reyes

Publishers/Joint CEOsEdsel Ochoa and Monching RomanoCreativesEmmeline Sia and Johnmer Bautista MarketingRhycel MarceloZ VillarinEditorial AssistantBabylou Dalida

For inquiries and feedback: Email us at racedaymagazine@gmail.comRaceDay Magazine is published bi-monthly. No part of this magazine may be reproduced, in part or in whole, without the written consent of the publishers. The views and opinions expressed in the articles are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the official position of the publisher. All information, content and services are provided “as is” without any kind of warranty. In no way shall RaceDay Magazine be held liable for any direct, indirect, incidental, consequential damages that may arise from any of the products, advice, reviews or information obtained from this magazine.

Copyright © 2014All rights reserved

OneSport Media Specialists, Inc.Unit 217 La Fuerza II Building, Pasong Tamo, Makati City

Graciast was the best banana cake I’ve ever tasted. Maybe it’s the kind of banana that they used or maybe

because I was eating it while seated at the veranda, overlooking the garden and pool of Fred Uytengsu’s Forbes Park house. Yes, that’s where we shot the cover for this issue and where we sat down with Fred for the very first “The RaceDay Interview”. It will now be a regular feature in our magazine, a one-on-one, in-depth, sit-down interview with a significant member of the triathlon community. For its debut, Fred talks about Ironman, why he decided to bring it to the Philippines, the negotiations for it, and its future in the country.

While Ironman was the tipping point for Philippine triathlon, Fred was not alone in catapulting the sport to its current status. Last issue, we paid tribute to those who gave birth to it via “The Men Who Started Philippine Triathlon”. In this issue, we continue to pay homage with “The 17 Most Influential People in Triathlon”. How did we choose the 17? Read my introduction on page 11.

Bobby Go takes on cheating, why we do it and why it feels so good to do it. So if you’ve ever pulled a fast one in a race, be careful next time, Bobby’s going to get you. Also writing for us in this issue is Nancy Chu-Reyes. She’s a member of the Century Tri-Hard Team and possesses the sharpest wit I’ve seen among female triathletes. Since we can’t have two funny columns in one issue, I gave my space to Nancy. I’m sure you won’t miss me anyway.

Completing this issue is Andy Leuterio’s Camp Alpha. My aim this year is to be a kick-ass cyclist. Coach Andy has come up with the Black Program—the Seal Team Six training of cycling—and I’m gunning for a slot in that one. Read the article and see if we can be batchmates.

Monching RomanoEditor-in-Chief

EDITOR’S GUNSTARTVol. 2 No. 1

CONTENTS

GRAN TRAILPasay Road, Makati

HEALTH FOODGlorietta 1, Makati

PRIMO CYCLESBurgos Circle, BGC, Taguig

R.O.X. Bonifacio High Street, Taguig

RUNNRBonifacio High Street, TaguigTrinoma, Quezon CityAlabang Town Center, Muntinlupa

RUDY PROJECTAlabang Town Center, MuntinlupaGlorietta 3, MakatiThe Podium, MandaluyongTrinoma, Quezon CityBonifacio High Street, TaguigSM Mall of Asia, PasayLucky Chinatown Mall, ManilaPaseo de Sta. Rosa, Laguna

SECONDWINDHome Depot, PasigGreenhills Shopping Center, San JuanTeacher’s Village, Quezon City

SPECIALIZEDPasong Tamo, Makati

STARBUCKSAll branches nationwide

2XUGlorietta 3, Makati

RIOVANABonifacio High Street, Taguig

WHERE TO FIND US:2

3

4

6

9

SIDESWIPE:The DISCIPLINE of CHEATING by Bobby Go

CONFESSIONS of a TRIATHLON DIVAby Nancy Chu-Reyes

ARE YOU SERIOUS?by Christian Obmerga

COVER STORY:THE RACEDAY INTERVIEWFRED UYTENGSU ON IRONMANby Monching Romano

THE 17 MOST INFLUENTIAL PEOPLEIN PHILIPPINE TRIATHLONby Monching Romanowith Kabel Mishka Ligotand Christian Obmerga

racedaymagazine

I

BY

BOBBY GO

SIDESWIPE

f they know they’re going to get caught, why do some people even cheat?” asked my editor, rather perplexedly. Before I could even finish my

answer—here is what I was beginning to say: Because there’s a perverted pleasure if one is able to get away with cheating—he quickly followed it up with “Why don’t you write about THAT?” And so here I am.

We are all teachers and disciples in the school of cheating.

From running red lights and crossing the street wherever and whenever we please, to jumping queues and starting traffic counterflows, flying recklessly in the face of rules and authority has become the norm. We propagate the notion that it’s okay to break from convention, perhaps in a misplaced display of bravado, showing boldness as a weak disguise for stupidity and insolence. We flippantly invoke the “When in Rome” reason to justify our actions. Take a good look at what’s happened to Italy. The once-conquering empire that was the virtual center of the universe and introduced to the world the aqueduct, Da Vinci, and pizza, is but a shadow of its world-beating self. Instead of innovation and creative verve, Italy as of late, has been in the spotlight for having contributed noteworthy though dubious “achievements” that do not make it a prime candidate for E.U. Nation You Would Most Want To Emulate. Former prime minister and Italy’s longest-serving post-war head of state, Silvio Berlusconi was more known for his shameless womanizing, tax evasion cases, and links to the mob than for his positive influences on Italian politics. Not your typical role model, but maybe in some twisted way, a template for some local politicians? Then there’s the warning everyone visiting Rome gets before and upon arrival at the capital: It’s not what you see in the postcards, and be wary of pickpockets, con men, and shysters who are everywhere. Ever heard the expression “Everything is beautiful, but nothing works?” Whoever came up with that quip was probably referring to Italy, where the last few decades have seen an economy racked by industrial demise and brain drain against a stunning historical backdrop of art and architecture. I do recall an educationist mention some years back about the Philippines being the Italy of the East. Go figure.

The ugly flipside to this disfigured coin is the feeling of entitlement, often played like a trump card, as a last resort.

I utterly love/loathe the way some people turn to the “Don’t you know who I am” or “I know so-and-so” approach as a way of intimidating the other party to cave in. But let’s save power tripping for another day. We might end up talking about officemates, celebrities, politicians, and pretty much the rest of the waking population.

So why cheat? Here are a few obvious reasons why this delicious temptation is a fruit that’s difficult to resist:

Reason #1: Beating the system and sticking it to the man. The thrill of being able to get around—much more break—the rules has an irresistible appeal that harks back to juvenile days of pinching a piece of candy at the grocery or looking over a seatmate’s shoulder for the answer to that multiple-choice question. But pilfering sweets and siphoning government funds are miles apart, though the former might be considered

a habit-starter for some cases. Added to that, there’s something about thumbing one’s nose at authority that adds luster to the misdemeanor. A teacher, an administrator, or even a parent who stands as the executor of what is proper and just, is both the imaginary and ideal target for one’s impertinence. Reason #2: It’s easier than following the rules. Managing change in any environment is never easy and many do not savor the idea

of breaking a routine, or deviating from what’s comfortable to them. You can’t expect rules to be understood by those who can’t even restrain themselves from forming their own lane in traffic. Doing the right thing is not always the easiest of tasks, but it makes for a better and more civilized society. Unfortunately, the very people who make the rules are also the first ones to bend or break them.

Reason #3: The penalties are less punitive. You don’t get the chair or a lethal injection for cheating (unless you’re in China), and since we live in such a forgiving society where people who plunder the national coffers get to become senators, congressmen, governors, and mayors, there’s little incentive to toe the line and more reason to step outside it. Hey, it’s not like making a couple of million bucks in kickbacks got anyone killed in the process, so what’s the big deal?

Reason #4: Everyone does it. This final point only helps to propagate a behavior that is deplorable and shocking. Yes, and

maybe at one time or another (and another), we’ve invoked Reason #4 to justify our deceptions, petty or serious they may have been.

Everybody loves a rebel, though we’d all rather live vicariously through the criminal exploits and lurid tales of the one who made a fortune through smuggling, the one who duped thousands into parting with their retirement pay, or the one who profited from skimming off the top of rigged project biddings. We marvel at the ingenuity and the chutzpah of those who choose to beat their own path to success, though in the most nefarious and twisted of ways.

In a sport that has taught us to play by the rules, the only boundaries broken should be those of measurable record, that is: to swim, bike, and run faster and farther than the previous race. I’ve seen and heard of participants in different races who have misrepresented themselves, drafted in non-drafting races, and hitched rides on vehicles during foot races. The list goes on.

This may be stretching the argument too thin, but I believe it boils down to love of country and old-fashioned self-respect. It’s really a matter of people not respecting their homeland and figuratively and literally shitting in their backyards.

I try to tell those who care enough to listen, that being a part of a growing sport like triathlon makes me feel accountable to keeping it honest. So when someone steps out of line, I feel an innate responsibility to sound the alarm and bring attention to the issue. Experience has taught me that consistency, whether it is performance or enforcing rules, yields positive results. The moment we compromise, it is the beginning of the end. I’m reminded of George Orwell’s “Animal Farm”, an allegorical novel about how pigs that take over a farm after driving out the humans, eventually begin behaving and looking like humans as compromises seep into their “Seven Commandments of Animalism”. Eventually, the commandments are condensed into a single phrase: All animals are equal, but some animals are more equal than others.

When we allow cheaters and rule-breakers/benders to continue to flaunt outright disregard for rules and regulations, we sell our sport, its integrity, and ourselves short. And should indifference to such behavior persist and take all of us on a tragic, slippery spiral towards the tangled mess that numerous sports are presently mired in, we will only have ourselves to blame.

The breakdown of our society begins and ends with us.

“I

“Serious sport has nothing to do with fair play. It is bound up with hatred, jealousy, boastfulness, disregard of all rules, and sadistic pleasure in witnessing violence: in other words, it is war minus the shooting.”

- George Orwell, “Shooting An Elephant”

TheDISCIPLINE ofCHEATING

02

Nancy Chu-Reyes is a 40-something-feeling-30-something-mother-of-two who describes her unconventional triathlon training as “pagkahatid ng mga anak sa iskwela, bira na!” Her love of water sports has gotten her into long-distance swimming, underwater hockey and dragon boat racing sort of late in life. Next goal: To finish the 2014 Cebu Ironman 70.3.

The Veteran

- Her darkened skin due to sun exposure is called “batak” or “kulay-kahoy”.

- She has no qualms having tan lines on her arms and legs due to the frequent use of bike jersey and trisuit.

- No VPL (visible panty line) is the norm. Going pantyless in a trisuit is second nature to her.

- Comments after a bike ride: “I must increase saddle time and conquer more challenging uphills.”

- “I had a bike spill!”

- LSD run stands for “Long Steady Distance”.

The Newbie

- Her darker complexion is called “olive skin” or “sunkissed look”.

- Her skin is a shade darker and she starts searching for the most potent topical sunblock, oral sunblock, kojic soap and gluta lotion.

- Still wears undies ranging from La Senza thong, to Victoria Secret bikini, to So-En. Panty line is VERY visible.

- Comments after a bike ride: “Ouch! So sakit my singit and pwet I think I have to change my saddle to Cobb.”

- “I made semplang!”

- LSD run means “Lawit Sobra ang Dila” sa pagod.

IVA (dee-vah) is described as “a headstrong, usually bitchy woman who exudes great style, personality and confidence without letting others influence who she is

or what she wants to be.”

Then there’s the Triathlon Diva. How can she be spotted in a sea of triathletes on any given race day? Simple. There lies a triathlon diva in every female bold enough to delve into this swim-bike-run phenomenon called triathlon. She is the modern day Delilah who may appear sweet or seductive at the starting line yet physically strong enough to reach the finish line unscathed.

While the typical male triathlete enjoys a discussion about personal records, a podium finish or his bike’s triple chain ring, the triathlon diva would rather talk about sunblocks with 100+spf, whitening soaps, or the ultimate sports bra that controls boobs from going “boing boing!” And if there were double standards governing sports and fitness, cringe on the sight of men doing Zumba but be in awe of women on bike cleats climbing the intricate uphills of Caylabne. The epitome of “strong is the new sexy” notwithstanding, the triathlon diva keeps within her amusing secrets and experiences that make her truly unique and interesting. Here are confessions of a few iron ladies of multisport who gamely shared their no-holds-barred stories inside and outside the race course. Real names were withheld to protect their privacy and to avoid a sudden surge of Facebook friend requests. I LOVE YOU PIOLO!Purity Tiwang is a long-distance runner who ran relay at the 2010 Ironman 70.3 in Cam Sur. An ardent fan of Piolo Pascual, she has seen practically all his movies and will move mountains to get studio passes and watch his TV guestings. Having learned that Piolo was to run for the Timex relay team, Purity took it upon herself to look lovely during the run leg—applying 24-hour tattoo eyeliner and long-wearing lipstick before the timing chip was passed on to her at Transition 1.She made a dash towards the run route with the goal of running alongside Piolo. Alas, when he was within sight, she ran her fastest, squeezed through his bodyguards and made her wish come true—Piolo in the flesh, his sweat sprinkling all over her as she ran beside him. He, smiling at her with his naturally pink lips and she, smiling back with her artificially

colored puckers in Maybelline lipstick shade #235. After waiting for this heavenly moment to happen, all she could utter was: “Hi, Piolo. Nakakapagod ’no?” Piolo nodded, and the next few minutes of awkward silence prodded Purity to bid her idol goodbye: “Sige, mauna ka na, Piolo. Pagod na talaga ako.” Yes, dreams do come true, even in the middle of a triathlon race.

VETERAN VS. NEWBIEAnaconda De Villa, a petite and voluptuous lady in her late 20s, is a strong swimmer, fast biker and promising runner. She tries to keep up with the training regimen of her male teammates but abhors being treated as “one of the boys”. Hanging out with her female teammates during her rookie year has taught Anaconda how to distinguish between a veteran from a newbie diva:

INNER STRENGTH“I don’t sweat for pounds, or inches, or dress size. I sweat to make my outside match my inside.” - Amber Dawn Hunter

Mother-of-three Nenuca Chikadera’s life story can be described as indie film-worthy. Beleaguered simultaneously by a business going bankrupt, a cheating husband and a son diagnosed with ADHD, she was on the verge of resorting to sleeping pill overdose to get away from it all. Heavy at 160 lbs. and hiding in a 35-inch waistline, Nenuca’s defining moment came one summer afternoon while shopping. A bunch of people walked past her and made a remark which, to her, was life-changing : “Di ba yan yung sikat sa TV na mataba?”

“Enough is enough,” Nenuca thought to herself. At that point she knew that it was time for a drastic change. Stuck in traffic, she saw a poster in a bike shop that read: “Triathlon 101 – Learn to Swim, Bike, Run”. As if the tri-gods whispered to her ears, she instantly signed up, attended the clinic, joined her first sprint triathlon and never stopped training and racing since.

Looking tanned, lean and sexy nowadays, Nenuca nonchalantly closed down her business, ditched her husband, pocketed half of his assets, and never stopped loving and caring for her special child. She attributes her improved mental and emotional state to her new-found physical strength. Yes, here comes the no-nonsense toughie who can race amongst men in this gruelling sport: She is daring enough to swim in open sea come hell or high water, brave enough to forgo her dream Chanel bag and upgrade her bike’s wheelset, and determined enough to run to the finish line still wearing the most beautiful smile.

The triathlon diva has arrived.

D

CONFESSIONSTRIATHLON DIVA

of a

BY NANCY CHU-REYES

The epitome of “strong is the new sexy” notwithstanding, the triathlon diva keeps within her amusing secrets and experiences that make her truly unique and interesting.

03

o you say you are a triathlete? You identify with a band of men and women with iron resolve whom mere mortals consider as lunatics—people who take

15K runs for breakfast, unwind after work with a 2K swim, define a fun weekend with a grueling 100K bike ride, and generally seem to enjoy self-inflicted pain and suffering. But the reality is—within the elite world you claim to belong to—you’re just a boy separated from the “men” by a race concept called “time.” You dismiss this fact, saying you are into triathlon just “to enjoy the view.” Yet, deep inside, you yearn to cross the finish line alongside the men or at least do better than your last race. If you are serious enough to step up your game, then you need some serious grinding.

Welcome to Camp AlphaI recently took a quick drive to Sandari Batulao in Nasugbu, Batangas to check out “Unilab Active Health Camp Alpha presented by Specialized,” an offshoot of a training program developed by Coach Andy Leuterio, coach to some athletes you’ve already seen on the podium. As part of Unilab’s commitment to not just stage quality races but also to provide athletes with holistic solution from training clinics to sports nutrition and post-race care, the camp is a two-weekend training composed of a lecture, and a lot of punishing swim, bike and run drills. Supported by Newton Running and Runnr, it’s also an opportunity for clients to train with Coach Andy and other athletes in a competitive environment, which participants attest to have helped them push more compared to training individually.

But before you get too excited about joining Camp Alpha, let me give you a rundown of the program that gave birth to this elite camp. What Coach Andy offers is an online program that is based on “Training Peaks interface. You get the computer or a phone, you will see your workout … for the week, today and all that,” he describes. “We have to sit down first and talk. What do you expect? How hard do you want to push your self? Do you want to podium, or do you want to just be comfortable, enjoying it?”

The program is categorized into two, the Red and the Black. “The Black Program is the super customized program … I review that weekly at the minimum. I can review it daily if I have to. It could change daily if you have to change your program daily,” he details. “The Red Program, it’s still personalized, but you’ll get your program for the whole month.” You’ll need to log your workout every week, and

he’ll review it every month. He’ll assess what you’ve actually accomplished and adjust your training plan for the next month based on it.

The Red is “good enough to actually get you the personal best.” The Black, on the other hand, is for “those who really give everything already in terms of ‘I want to be top 5, top 3, top 10’,” he says. If your level of obsession—or should I say passion—can only be appeased by a podium finish, then the Black Program will suit you.

So how did Camp Alpha figure into all of this? To get a Black slot, you’ll have to join an orientation weekend for some basic tests and classroom lectures. You’ll be briefed about the program, the basic workouts, what your year should look like, and what you need to commit to. Then you have to attend the second weekend for the selection, where there’s no lecture, but a lot of swimming, biking and running for two days. Your performance will be assessed based on “one, completion of all the tasks; two, how well did you perform in the baseline tests” as elucidated by Coach Andy. Camp Alpha is where the orientation and selection happens.

Camp Alpha also serves as a tune-up for triathletes preparing for an upcoming race. The camp usually coincides with Unilab’s Tri United, Bike United and Run United and other major races in the country. The workouts are customized to help condition the participants.

“In terms of difficulty, the course here is a lot harder … It’s a little longer because it’s composed of two legs. There’s a lot of volume involved … a lot of biking and running but also a lot of sharing the knowledge that we’ve gained through the years,” describes Coach Andy.

Based on tested methodsComing from an era when coaches are unheard of, books are as elusive as unicorns, and the Internet is still in its infancy, triathletes then had to learn on their own. Coach Andy got into triathlon during this period. “I have to learn everything the hard way, trial and error basically. But through the years … you learn a little more,” he points out. It’s from his experience as an age grouper where he gains time-tested training principles that he shares to his clients. “I’m trying to teach them how to really maximize their time because all of these guys are working people, and I want to share with them how they can achieve their best given that [they] only have,

in reality, an hour to two hours a day to train. So what are my secrets in doing that? What is the technique behind it, the science behind it?” he enthuses.

Does it work?Come race time, the ultimate question is: Does it really work?

Remedios Martinez of Bacolod barely met the cut-off on her first attempt at Ironman Cebu. “Usap kami, online lang, phone lang … She got on the program. First few months she hated it but she did it,” Coach Andy shares. “For about 8:20 in her first attempt she chopped down to about 6:20. She’s very happy … she wanted more.” She later on aced her age group in a race in Bohol, winning against younger women. “Nasa 50 na yan and in her [age group] may mga 45,” notes Coach Andy.

Vanj Endaya is well-acquainted with the podium but still craves to outdo herself. “I did an ultramarathon under his coaching method. I finished 4th among the women, and 53rd against 600 plus competitors. I attribute it to Coach Andy’s program. And he’ll tell you which areas to improve on,” she shares, noting that even podium finishers can expect improvement with Coach Andy’s program.

S

Are You Serious?WORDS AND IMAGES BY CHRISTIAN OBMERGA

04

“How hard do you want to push your self? Do you want to podium, or...just be comfortable, enjoying it?”

PHOTO COURTESY OF ANDY LEUTERIO

Last year in Ironman Cebu, Coach Andy along with two athletes under his program finished the race under five hours. “Our average training time is only 13 hours a week. It’s in the low-end. People think, ‘Oh, I have to do 20 hours a week.’ No,” Coach Andy proves.

It’s a fact that not everyone will win a race. Coach Andy acknowledges, “Sa totoo lang, not everybody was meant to win. There are only one, two, three podium finishers in any category. No matter how hard you try.” Your body has its limit, but if you are committed enough to reach that limit, the program can help you. “I still take them on, I still encourage them to just do it and give everything. ’Cause for me … parang personal expression yan. It’s part of your personality. You have to do your best as a triathlete, as a working guy, as a father. In everything you do, I want you to do your best. It doesn’t matter if you are in the top 10 percent or in the bottom, basta alam mo in your heart you gave everything. That’s what my coaching is about.”

As I talked to the participants after their grueling ordeal, I can’t help noticing their fulfilled grins. They echoed one common description of the camp: It was super tiring! Yet I need not ask if they get what they are there for, their demeanor exhibits a fired-up, supercharged bunch of athletes ready to take on anything.

Contact Andy Leuterio throughemail: alpha_tri@yahoo.comtwitter: alpha_tri@twitter.com

05

red can call any number in the Philippines and the person on the other end will know instantly who’s calling. But this one was different. He was calling

Steve Meckfessel, the chief operations officer of World Triathlon Corporation (WTC), the company that organizes and licenses the Ironman Triathlon. Fred was going to pitch for the Philippines to host an Ironman 70.3 triathlon. With triathlon in its infancy in the country, Fred’s pitch wasn’t the easiest one to make.

In this very first “The RaceDay Interview”, Fred Uytengsu sits down with RaceDay Editor-in-Chief Monching Romano and recounts why he wanted, and how he got the Philippines onto the triathlon map of the world.

RaceDay: What made you decide it’s time to bring Ironman here?

Fred Uytengsu: I’ve been involved [in] the sport for a long time, participating in local races [since mid 80s] and then having raced abroad, ... having done the half Ironman in Hawaii [and] Singapore, [and] a couple of Ironmans in Australia. I just felt that there was an opportunity first, for people to have the same experience in the Philippines—not just do a 70.3 distance but to experience Ironman—because everyone looks at Ironman as the gold standard in triathlon for a variety of reasons. ... I also felt that we needed to uplift the quality of our races and that we could do it ... then showcase what we can do in the Philippines—that we could put on a world-class event.

I didn’t realize it would be so difficult to try and get Ironman to be interested in the Philippines. I was given some names, I was talking to IMG because we had a relationship with them and they said leave it with us, we’ll work on it, and ... a year went by [with no progress] ...

RD: Was it purely a business decision or was it an emotional decision as well?

Uytengsu: I think it’s both. I did not want to approach this as being something which would be a black hole. I guess that’s the business side of me. I wanna make sure at some point I have breakeven or if we get some contribution, we plow that back into the event, we plow it back into the community. So there are a lot of things that we try to do ... we’re gracious costumers. We always give back to each of the cities that were there. In this particular instance after the race, we’re gonna be organizing a relief plan to go with Gawad Kalinga to build homes in Tacloban. So we raise money through the jerseys we’ve made; we’ve raised money through the humanitarian t-shirts that Ironman did. And all those proceeds are gonna go towards building houses. So yes, there’s a business component to it, but I also think it’s just been a way to give back if you will ... I’ve really enjoy[ed] the sport first as an athlete, and now, as an organizer.

RD: What year did you start talking to them?

Uytengsu: We were trying to make contact [in 2006] or I was trying to make contact through different sources. It wasn’t getting anywhere and I was getting a little frustrated. I was talking to my coach Lance Watson and he said, “Why don’t you call Steve Meckfessel directly?” I said, “He doesn’t know me.” He said, “Just tell him I introduced you. I suggest you give him a call.” So I did: “Steve, my name is Fred Uytengsu and Lance Watson mentioned that I should give you a call, and I just wanted to tell you I’ve been involved in this sport for a long time. I’ve done so many Ironman races at different businesses.” I kind of gave him a verbal resumé … He said, “Oh let me think about it. There’s a lot of countries that want to host an Ironman event and there’s a limit to what we can do, and we want to make sure we do it properly.” So I said, “Well let me know, I’ll be in the States on these dates …” and he said, “Okay I’ve got someone I want you to meet.”

I met Murphy Reinschreiber (WTC Asia Pacific’s Managing Director) in Los Angeles. Murphy is a very stern, no-nonsense type of person. … We found out we had a common ground. He was a collegiate swimmer, I was a collegiate swimmer. He swam at Wisconsin and so ... we connected. We talked a little about that and then he said, “Tell me what you think the size of the triathlon community in the Philippines is.” God! Back then I was thinking maybe 250 people. That was probably a lot, right? And he said, “So what made you think that you can hold a race in the Philippines with that kind of a group?” I said, “Well, I think the sport will grow. I think we will build it and they will come to take the page out of the famous book. But honestly, I hope to attract triathletes from around the region because there aren’t a lot of Ironman races in Asia to begin with. So we hope to bring people to the Philippines [as] part of the sports tourism concept. One, was to allow Filipinos to experience an Ironman event. Second, was to stage a world-class event; and third, was to bring triathletes to the Philippines and help with the whole concept of building tourism in the Philippines.” He said, “Well, what do you think you could do, then build this race to?” I kind of went out on a limb, “I think maybe we could get 500 athletes the first year” and I said “I think we can get to a thousand athletes by year three,” which is kind of when you look at [it] now you say, “Oh! Kaya!” right? But back then, there was a pretty big leap of faith ... I was making these promises that I said God, I’ve got to make. I’ve got to achieve this now. And we just didn’t know if there were that many people who were gonna come out and do it, because if you go back as recently as 2006, 2007, the community was small. Now you look at it seeing ... there’s a lot of people, a lot of interest in the sport. But, we were ahead of the curve in terms of bringing something like this in.

So once they said okay, we’ll do it, we’ll sign a three-year deal and we’ll see where we’ll go from there, … Princess Galura went over to see Honu. Ah, to me that was a big part of the inspiration. I’ve done that race at least three times, which is the Half Ironman in Hawaii. And I just wanted to see what to expect. ... Princess had worked with me before in PBA

FRED UYTENGSUTHE RACEDAY INTERVIEW:

IMAGES BY EDSEL OCHOA and EMMELINE SIA

ON IRONMAN

F

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IN 2006, FRED UYTENGSU MADE A PHONE CALL THAT TURNED OUT TO BE THE TIPPING POINT OF PHILIPPINE TRIATHLON.

properties so I’d [have already] known her. Her work ethics is second to none. She really gets down into the details. And to me it was really important that we didn’t make the race just a race. This was an event. And the whole event starts with the pre-race communications all the way to race week in terms of what’s going to happen so that you’re entertained as an athlete. It’s an interesting experience. You walk in there, it’s like Olympic Village, right? And that’s part of the experience. When you walk off a plane you’re greeted, and that’s showing Filipino hospitality. These are all the little dimensions that I think go into making an event special. You can go to a great race, but ours is not just hopefully a great race, it’s a great experience all the way around. The only thing we can’t control, is how you do on race day. That’s up to you. Everything else is on us.

We wanna make sure that it’s special whether you’re a Filipino or you’re a foreigner. This should be a good experience that showcases what the Philippines has to offer. We started that off in Cam Sur, and a lot of people kinda say, well yeah, this was nice but they don’t kinda see what

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happens behind the scenes. We want to ... make everything else look good. So we have a mantra: We have a problem, ok, smile, and fix it. ’Cause that’s what you have to do. Our problems are not the athlete’s concern. ... No one should be complaining about how hard it is to make this work. It should just look easy. That’s what makes it special. ... It’s harder than doing the full distance race.

We made mistakes along the way. We know it’s not a perfect race but that doesn’t stop us to want to improve on it. …What was really special was after the first race, Murphy Reinschreiber … came out and he said, “This is absolutely the best debut of any Ironman that I have been to.” And I said, “Wow! That’s quite a compliment, but there’s a lot of things that ... could have [been] done better.” He said, “Well it’s fine, but at least you’re off to a good start.” Because they didn’t give us a manual, I mean you would expect they’d give you a 500-page manual ... no. Nothing.

So everything, all the staging, all the merchandising ...

RD: …was just your experience?

Uytengsu: It was my experience. I guess I drew on what would have I done differently now that I’m the organizer. ... In fact sometimes, when I’m doing other races, I’m still looking at it now from two sides, right? What do I learn from here and what would I change.

The race caught on, people had a good experience that first year, and the race went from 500 to 800 plus. And then [on] year three, we broke the thousand-person mark. We unfortunately outgrew Cam Sur. The race got too big for the infrastructure to support it: the airport couldn’t accommodate the number of athletes. The surrounding areas couldn’t house the number of athletes.

Coincidentally, Gov. [Gwendolyn] Garcia had expressed interest as did many others. We had at least half a dozen cities asking [to host] the Ironman. …We made a three-year commitment to Cam Sur; so after that we said let’s look around, and we found that Cebu had a lot to offer. The biggest benefits

initially were the bigger international airport people can fly in. Big planes can come in, so the bicycles can come with the athletes. ... And they gave us a tremendous amount of support. We’re in a beautiful facility at the Mactan Shangri-la and we’ve got an interesting course ... the bike course. It’s like an M-dot, there you go, out-back, out-back, right? The run course (with a lot of support from Lapu-lapu and people out there): it’s contained, so it’s very safe.

The race continues to grow, and we really got a lot of foreign interest. After the fourth year, ... the buzz in the tri community was, “Oh, you have to come out and do this race.” Even amongst the pro triathletes: I think I was talking with Chris Lieto, the year he finished second, [when] he said, “I heard your race is [sic] fantastic.” So the buzz amongst the pros is also good, and part of that is because we take really good care of them. They’ve said to us that “in other races, there’s no way that we’re taken care of the way that you take care of us.” Terenzo Bozzone said, “We feel like rock stars.” And honestly, in our sport, they are the rock stars.

“We wanna make sure that it’s special whether you’re a Filipino or you’re a foreigner. This should be a good

experience that showcases what the Philippines has to offer.”

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RD: Even we age groupers, feel that way. I am always asked: “Why do you do Ironman against other races?” I say to them, “When you watch the Olympics or any tennis event, you’re a spectator. This time you’re an athlete. When you get to the airport, they welcome you, and people are looking at you because you’re an athlete in that event. You are not just a spectator.”

Uytengsu: It’s a part of the experience.

RD: I was watching the Ironman in Australia on TV last night and I observed there were not too many spectators along the road, or even at the finish line.

Uytengsu: That’s pretty accurate. You don’t get anywhere near the same turn out. Kona, the world championship is different ... you have people lining up, but not like [what] you have here that’s something quite unique. There’s a lot of people ... cheering, thousands upon thousands. ... Some of the pros, they said they were so moved emotionally. One even said, “I was crying. I was so overwhelmed with the amount of support ... they don’t know me. I might be Lisa Bentley or I might be Belinda Granger ... They really don’t know me per se, but they’re out there cheering!” And they’re out there not just for the pros but even for the middle-of-the-pack and the end-of-the-pack triathletes. That shows the warmth of the Filipinos. That’s something that you can’t copy, because within Asia, we are the hospitality kings.

RD: This year the race sold out, you said, in four hours. But actually, 45 minutes into it, many people can’t register already.

Uytengsu: I think in the first hour we had 16 or 18 hundred people registering and what happened is that they were just a lot of applications coming in. ... I saw that and I said I think we’ll sell out within a day. I thought the enthusiasm would taper off, right? And then at two hours, we were already ... 2,000 plus. Then [in] four hours, gone.

RD: How many registrants?

Uytengsu: We’re about 2,400 and we’ve got a waiting list. There are people saying just let more people in. But if we dilute the quality of the experience, if we compromise safety, then ... we’re not being responsible. So we’ve let it grow, and we think this is a manageable number. We’re gonna have to go with more wave starts. That’s one of our key learnings: that it’s just too big the way the swim starts ... I think we’ll do a couple more wave starts to manage the whole thing. One, it’s safer; two, it’s gonna be a little easier to track the course—less congestion on the bike, less drafting. Having said that, we handed quite a few penalties last year on drafting. To me, that’s being true to the race.

RD: It looks like the market is bigger than what we can accommodate now. Are there any plans for a second 70.3?

Uytengsu: Yeah, we’ve talked to WTC about that and they’re open. We’ve seen that we have two 5i50’s now, and our 70.3, so I think most definitely there is room for [it]. You see other races coming up. There are other half distance races. There’s even a full-distance race that goes on. So there is a market for that. I think we should participate and offer that same experience but in a different market because it does put a lot of pressure and burden on the host city to do that.

At the same time, I think it’s important to share the tourism benefits within the Philippines. ... So that’s under study, to determine when do we do it and where do we do it.

RD: Is the second 70.3 happening this year?

Uytengsu: I think it’s probably unlikely. If we did do it, then we’d probably have to do it late in the year. ‘Cause the way the calendar has stocked up, ... we realized that whatever 70.3s we do, we hope they’re A-races, people ... want to make sure that they have the chance to train for it. And we hope to be the first race of choice for any triathlete whether local or foreign.

RD: Are you concerned about the newcomers?

Uytengsu: You mean the new races? Not at all. I think it’s good for the sport because ... I think it’s important that athletes have a choice, ... a wide variety of experiences and they should decide. So for us, it’s also good. It’s competition ... It brings out the best in the athlete and best things out in the organizers. I hope they do well because I think it will grow the sport and I think there’s room. I think [we] just need to make sure that we plan properly so that you don’t have races competing against each other on the same weekend. That does good for nobody.

RD: Do you think TRAP should have regulatory powers in terms of scheduling and quality of races?

Uytengsu: I think TRAP should be involved. ... I’m not a firm believer that they should, as a regulator, but I think they are already looking at the calendar. And when you submit your races, there’s feedback with TRAP saying these are the races that’s [sic] going on. So I think that exists. But I do know ... sports where you have different factions, they say, “[When is] your race? I’m gonna do my race the same time as yours.” And it’s sad to see they’re hurting the sport rather than helping ... I think all the race organizers realize it’s in each of our best interest to make sure that we space out the races so that ... you can easily do two or three 70.3s a year. You can do half a dozen Olympic distance races a year, if the athlete (his body) can take it. Ironman distance, full distance, [once] a year is a lot. ... You’re not gonna find that many people willing to put in the time to train and then to recover from that. But, people can choose: what’s their training schedule, … work schedule, …family schedule. And the people who are really ganado, they’ll do 8 to 10 races a year. Some people are happy doing four to six, some people may only do two or three.

RD: Do you think we will reach a saturation point in terms of races very soon?

Uytengsu: If you’d ask me the same question a couple of years ago, I thought we might be getting there. But now, look what’s happening. We’re seeing more people coming to the sport and ... some of the younger ones are now getting involved. It used to be the 30- and 40-somethings. Now, we’re seeing more 20-somethings getting a little bit more interested in it. If we look at our population, we’re a country of a hundred million people. It’s an expensive sport and I realize it’s not going to be available to a lot of people because of the costs involved. But with the emergence of the middle class, I think there’s a long way to go. If we say right now our athlete’s base is maybe 5,000 for a country of a hundred million, that’s nothing because you have countries like Hong Kong and Singapore that have a database of 20,000 triathletes. So I would say it’s a long time ... before we hit a saturation point provided that we put on good races—well-organized. It’s ... a lifestyle that people take on, not a won-and-done situation, so I think the next decade is promising.

RD: Is a full Ironman in the planning as well?

Uytengsu: Everyone asks for that. ... Ironman is always been known for the full distance race—it’s the holy grail. ... The issue is that, realistically, even though we have 70 Filipinos going to Melbourne for the Ironman, ... I think the market is still quite small for a full distance. ... I mean if you look at the full distance races here, ... nothing’s over 500 and far, far from that. Second is that we need to find a course that will allow us to it, so that you’re not doing multiple loops. In the past, there has been some full distance races here. I’ve done a couple of them, and I remember after your third lap on the bike, you feel

like a hamster in a cage, right? So we need to find a course that would do justice to the distance. ... I wouldn’t say it’s not possible, but I don’t think it’s immediate right now. ... I think we built enough good will with WTC that if we told them we’re ready—ready with the course and ... ready with the numbers—we would get to that point. But I don’t think that’s not necessary again. Our final objective is to put on races that are great experiences, that people say “I wanna keep doing this.” It’s not just “I did a race. I checked it off my box. I’m done.” We see a lot of people who’ve been in the sport now for five, six, seven years. We see a lot of repeat customers coming back to our races. Our problem is sometimes they can’t get in anymore. We give them three-months notice, two-months notice, one-week notice, and ... now we’re telling people at 8 o’clock on registration day [to] be in front of your computer and click. But if it gets to a point where too many people are getting locked out, then we have to put on a second race.

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PEOPLEINFLUENTIAL

IN PHILIPPINE

WORDS BY MONCHING ROMANO with KABEL MISHKA LIGOT and CHRISTIAN OBMERGA

finishers. And where do you think these people will go upon realizing that they need a new challenge fix? Yes, triathlon. Jaymie grows triathlon.

We’re sure as well that you know of some people whom you feel should be on the list. We acknowledge that. Triathlon is filled with good-intentioned people trying to better the community. But we do have limited and expensive printing space, thus the 17-count limit. So to those people we failed to include, RaceDay salutes you. That’s really the reason why we came up with this list, to say our much-deserved Thank You to all the people who have grown and made triathlon one of the fastest growing sports in the country; to those who have sacrificed time and their creative energy, and risked business capital to nurture this sport. We will continue to call out these people—that’s what RaceDay is really all about—to try and make this sport a better one. You probably won’t be a much faster triathlete reading us, but we’re hoping you’d be a better member of this community that we all have learned to love.

So here they are, in alphabetical order.

f Fred Uytengsu wakes up tomorrow and decides that Ironman 70.3 Cebu should be in January instead of its usual August schedule, it will alter our lives. We

might all then have to reschedule our European cruises, Disneyland trips and Hong Kong shopping sprees. We may even have to cancel Christmas, as we all should be in our last block of training by December. If Ricky Ledesma gets tired of moderating his FirstWaveTri Yahoo groups and shuts it down, how then will we upgrade if we can’t sell our beat-up bikes that we advertise as “slightly used” in his very popular egroup? That’s how we drew up this list of 17 most influential people in triathlon—the decisions of these people affect our triathlon lives. They can make it harder or easier. Take for example Raul Cuevas, who serves as race director for the Tri United series. If he decides to group us by looks instead of age, then racing would be a lot easier. Imagine this, if I am on the run leg and I see Drew Arellano behind me, upping his pace and ready to make a slingshot pass at me, then I’d know I need to speed up, else my ranking in the Kinda-Cute Category will be affected. Corollary to that, if I see my former training buddy Jonah Rivera just a tad behind me on the bike leg and I hear a

gear shift and I see his butt slightly rise above his saddle, then I’d know he’s getting ready to overtake me. But because it’s looks and not age, then I know I can maintain my speed and let him pass. I can even be generous and give him some motivation—“Pare, kadadaan lang ni Kiko Abante, kaya mo pang habulin yun!”

There are people in this list that can affect even our purchase patterns: say Joey Ramirez marries the very lovely Bossa Princess and finds bliss that can’t compare with the happiness of bringing in those equally lovely Specialized Shivs; then he just might give up the distributorship. Then we’d all have to enlist in the Atienza/Maderazo/Racaza-led Cervelo P5 revolution.

But yes, we admit that our list is not infallible. You might even question some of the people who are in it. “What?! Jaymie Pizarro?! But she hasn’t even done a full distance Ironman yet!” Yes, but you’re not as pretty. And you didn’t come up with the idea of staging a marathon for first timers, the first and only one of its kind in the world. To date, her TBR Dream Marathon has produced over 3,000 marathon

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DAVIDALMENDRALDavid made it possible for athletes to get a convenient access to top-of-the-line gear—leveling the playing field. He foundedLight ’N Up Marketing, which distributes popular equipment brands such as Cervelo, 2XU, 3T, Aqua Sphere, Cobb Cycling, Felt Bicycles, KASK Helmets, HED, Pinarello, Rotor Bike Components, Swissstop, XLAB, and Zoot.Light ’N Up was an originally existing company that David and his team transformed into a sports distribution enterprise when they secured their first major brand, Aqua Sphere, in 2009. Fed up with the service that most companies provided just as he was getting into triathlon, David set out to distribute the best brands he likes to use himself, better alternatives to equipment already out in the market. Light ’N Up works very closely with Sunrise Events, Inc. for their Ironman, 5i50, and Ironkids events; and looks to partner with retailers such as Planet Sports, Runnr, and Riovana.

GREGBANZONGreg has been running since his elementary school days and joined triathlon when the sport began to gain more visibility in the country. In 2005 he formed the nucleus of the Tri Hard team, along with Vic Magno and Terry Eugenio. Tri Hard has grown to include National Coach George Vilog and National Team Member Nikko Huelgas. Greg is also the marketing director for Century Tuna—an established health and lifestyle label due to its Superbod Challenge, which has been running since 2009, and ushered in the advent of this country’s trend in run events. With the success of the Superbod Challenge, Century began sponsoring races such as the Cobra Ironman 70.3, TRAP Events, and the Century 5i50 Triathlon, among many others held year-round all over the country. Century Tuna continues to market itself as an excellent dietary supplement for athletes—being low-fat and full of “belly-burning” Omega 3.

PHOTO BY EDSEL OCHOA

The de facto Ambassador of Philippine Triathlon is Kim Atienza. It’s proven: celebrities do play a vital part in a sport’s growth. We’re lucky to have a handful in triathlon. But among the celebs, the most dedicated is Kuya Kim. Well-loved by everyone in the community, he inspires others by his devotion to be a better triathlete. Downed recently by the rare autoimmune disease, Gullain-Barré syndrome, Kim bounced back, got into training and now getting ready to race again. If that’s not enough to inspire you, then take a look at his schedule and be ashamed of your excuses not to train. His daily routine is the perfect blueprint for a work-life-triathlon balance.4:45 a.m. : Breakfast with the family6:30 a.m. : Training, usually 2 workouts per session11:00 a.m. : Call time for “Showtime”12:30 to 3:00 p.m. : “Showtime”3:30 to 4:30 p.m. : Nap5:00 p.m. : Call time for “TV Patrol”7:45 p.m. : Home and dinner with family9:30 p.m. : Lights out

KIMATIENZA

PHOTO COURTESY OF NEW BALANCE

TOMCARRASCOTom is the president of the Triathlon Association of the Philippines (TRAP), a quasi-government group overseeing triathlon. He joined TRAP in 1989, when the old board “needed a boost”. With his background in road race organizing, Tom was able to provide long-term objectives and a vision for TRAP. It has also taken a new direction with private companies investing in Triathlon, adding prestige and defraying operational costs. TRAP has seen the community grow from 200 in its inception to 2,450-strong at present. Tom’s got a full plate aside from leading TRAP: he’s a certified public accountant—with a degree from UP Diliman’s College of Business Administration, the president of

the Asian Center for Insulation, the senior vice president of the Asian Triathlon Confederation, the Asian representative to the International Triathlon Union Board of Directors, and the Chairman of the Philippine Olympic Committee.

PHOTO COURTESY OF TRAP

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RAUL CUEVASRaul was among the first broods when Philippine triathlon was conceived. As a member of the UP swim squad then, he was one of the very early triathlon adopters. He wanted to race more frequently, but since there were very few events at that time, he started organizing some races—standards, even full iron distances. This is at a time when mga kaing ng saging were used as transition boxes and there was no money to be made in race organizing. He lost money but his Diliman blood kept saying, “Kung hindi tayo kikilos, sino’ng kikilos?” So he continued staging races. And it paid off: Today Raul is the organizer and race director of one of the biggest and most significant triathlons locally, the Tri United Series. Raul has gone all-in for the sport. He owns the very popular Bike King and stages 8 to 10 races annually including the Bohol 226 Triathlon, Active Health Duathlon, Bike United Tour of Subic, and the Aboitiz Power Tour of Clark.

PHOTO BY EMMELINE SIA

KIMATIENZA ANI DE LEON

-BROWNAni is one of the country’s best female triathletes and an outstanding triathlon “coach to the stars”. She got into triathlon “accidentally”, being a member of the UP Varsity Swim Team, with her coaches and sister into the sport. She began coaching in 2002 and doing informal triathlon camps in 2004—with her husband Dan starting off in Australia as early as 2003. In 2011, along with her friends Doray Ellis and Harvie de Baron, she launched Next Step Tri Camps. Next Step garners around 30 athletes per camp—with more than 500 alumni to date. Next Step aims to help athletes have a great time with like-minded people while training hard and learning more about triathlon. The camps are held in places like Pico de Loro in Batangas, Bacolod, Cebu, Dipolog, and Subic, which doubles as weekend getaways for the athletes’ family. While Ani enjoys her accomplishment of having raced around 135 events and counting, her happiness and love for triathlon also stems from seeing those she coaches succeed as well: “As a coach, it is infinitely more satisfying when someone you help[ed] becomes successful, as compared to when you yourself are successful. The feeling is magnified tenfold.”

PHOTO BY EDSEL OCHOA

CARLOSDE GUZMANCarlos is known for organizing swimbikerun.ph—colloquially known as SBR.ph in the triathletes’ circle—a forum and online shop where athletes are able to discuss anything under the sun that concerns them: “Nagbabalitaktakan ang mga triathletes sa kung anu-anong topic.” Launched on January 1, 2011, SBR.ph is currently celebrating its third year. “We thought it would be cool if our birth date would be 1/1/11,” Carlos says. His first triathlon was in 2007, with him getting into the sport “just like how most newbies get into this crazy sport.” Carlos is also now getting into race organizing, putting together races marketed towards newbies, where they can “simply be themselves without the pressure of a cut-off time or high registration fees.” SBR.ph’s events include the SBR Tri Series; the Aquaman Aquathlon, the Duaman Duathlon, and the Triman Triathlon. “We may not have the hits, but we serve a very niche and tight-knit community,” Carlos enthuses.

RIO DELA CRUZIn the Philippines, Rio is a name synonymous to running. And it’s not far-fetched to say that he single-handedly brought about the boom of the sport in the country. We first heard about him as a UP varsity runner who dreamed big and started organizing his own races—among them was the Great UP Run in 2007. In 2009, he established Run Rio, his own running brand. Barely a year after, the Run Rio Trilogy in 2010 has triggered an avalanche of successes—prompting major brands to entrust to him their sponsored races, such as the Milo Marathon with 42,214 runners in attendance. The key to Rio’s success: the honest desire to listen to runners’ concerns about his races so he can address them and improve on the succeeding ones. To date, he organizes a total of 39 races a year with plans to expand to Vietnam and Indonesia. His humble beginning as a shoeless runner has gone full circle with the opening of his very own Riovana Running Store. An innovator who pioneered the use of disposable timing chips in local runs, Rio indeed is a running legend who has helped shape the sport’s landscape. Ever wondered where the

sudden influx of triathletes came from? Yes, majority of them have probably run in one of Rio’s races.

PHOTO BY EDSEL OCHOA

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PRINCESSGALURADubbed by some as the Iron Lady—not only because she calls the shots for Ironman Philippines, but because she’s really tough, mataray, some would even say—Princess, of Sunrise Events, Inc. probably has the toughest job in all of Philippine triathlon. As General Manager of SEI, she has the “the buck stops with me” job of executing some of the most well-participated and prestigious multisport events in the country—Ironman Philippines 70.3, Xterra Triathlon, Xterra Mud Run, BGC Cycle Philippines, and Ironkids to name a few. On the Ironman race day alone, she has no less than 1,500 people under her command, from her staff to suppliers, and from LGUs to the police. She can’t have tolerance for mediocrity, no time for making exceptions for special requests. But she does show a soft side: at every Ironman 70.3 gunstart, she gets teary-eyed as the triathletes swim off knowing they’ll experience a race like no other. As she sees the last swimmer go into the water, her mind starts planning again for the next Ironman, 12 months away.

PHOTO BY EDSEL OCHOA

ARLANDMACASIEBIf we list down the races that Arland Macasieb has finished and won, then we probably need to add a few more pages for this

issue. Arland Macasieb is the most decorated Filipino-American Triathlete. He currently holds the record for the Philippine Iron distance with a time of 9:39, and he’s among the people responsible for making it known to the world that Pinoys have a

place in multisport, particularly triathlon. He is the CEO at

Fil-Am Tri Club and a Level 2 independent bike fitter at BikeFit

LLC. With a degree in exercise physiology, this dedicated coach and multi-awarded athlete’s competitive drive is fueled by his passion to test his limits. His long list of accolades will be tough to match, if not surpass, and will serve as a benchmark that will inspire present and future generations.

PHOTO BY EDSEL OCHOA

CLINTON CAMPOS HESSWe all should be thankful that Unilab’s President and CEO Clinton Hess took his company’s mission to heart—“to empower and enrich people’s lives through trusted and quality healthcare”. With his leadership, the Unilab Active Health (ULAH) platform was born in 2010 to provide a proactive approach to healthcare by encouraging people to get into an active and healthy lifestyle. Run United, Bike United, and Tri United have become premier races which cater to progressive athletes wanting to take their game a notch higher. The Tri United events have evolved into an annual four-race series, designed and scheduled to address the need of triathletes to progress: race faster, longer, and exceeding themselves. ULAH’s entry into triathlon was perfect with the community needing more quality and well-organized races. ULAH continues to support the community by backing promising athletes, sponsoring training camps and introducing new products specifically for the progressive triathlete.

PHOTO COURTESY OF UNILAB

Ricky first got his hand on triathlon in 1996—a sprint tri in Ateneo. Feeling confident with his cycling background, “I thought I [can] wing it by keeping up in the swim, pass them all on the bike, and coast the run. Turns out I could barely swim 750 meters straight—was third to the last out of the pool, couldn’t recover on the bike, and walked most of the run,” he confesses. But that didn’t discourage him. He moved on, and together with Raul Cuevas, Lito Fugoso and their wives, plus Jenny Robles started Firstwave in 2001, an organization that caters to “Fit & Tri” kids triathlon. In 2005, Carlo Carrasco of Ridgetri—the original egroup that handles local triathlon matters—turned over the duties of Ridgetri to Firstwavetri. To date, there are about 1,500 members, about 18,142 messages posted, and countless buying and trading deals. Nowadays, Firstwavetri is the go-to place for event info—announcements, schedules, results, triathlon schedules on TV, plus some “good reads” and “tips”. Ricky vows to continue helping sustain the sport’s growth and maintain a good environment in the multisport community.

RICKY LEDESMA

PHOTO BY EMMELINE SIA

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If you own one of those elegant Specialized Shivs, then you have Joey to thank for. In 2002, when triathlon was yet to gain prominence, Joey’s father, former professional motocross rider Dan Ramirez got the bike brand’s distribution rights for the Philippines. When the triathlon community showed more business potential, Joey took charge of its Manila office and grew the business to its current market leader status. Wanting to walk his talk, Joey got into triathlon. Proving that the fruit doesn’t fall far from the tree, Joey raced competitively and was soon getting podium finishes on the “A” triathlon races. Recently armed with a Master’s Degree from the Ateneo, Joey has totally reorganized the company to gear up for the very competitive years ahead. With more triathlon-related brands in his lineup, Joey is now poised to do business regionally with Singapore as his next target.

JOEYRAMIREZ

PHOTO COURTESY OF DAN’S BIKE SHOP

HUBERTTANAn avid triathlete who particularly loves to bike and run, Hubert Tan is Asia Brewery’s vice president for marketing. Along with Fred Uytengsu, he’s among the people who are responsible for the gun start of the first Ironman in the country. Since then, Cobra Energy Drink and triathlon, particularly Cobra Ironman 70.3 Philippines, have grown tremendously. The title sponsorship produced a synergy that made Cobra Ironman 70.3 a household name, and helped elevate Cobra Energy Drink’s familiarity to the people of Luzon and Visayas regions. It also made Cobra relevant to fitness enthusiasts—triathletes, runners, swimmers and bikers who wanted something different from the usual marathons and fun runs, and who needed an energy boost in their day jobs. Hubert took the risk of supporting Ironman because he believes that the key values of Cobra—that of perseverance, hard work, discipline and a lot of heart—and the Ironman’s discipline and theme of endurance, work well together.

PHOTO COURTESY OF ASIA BREWERY

FREDUYTENGSUKnown in the triathlete community as the man who brought Ironman and XTERRA in the Philippines, Fred Uytengsu, the president and CEO of Alaska Milk Corp., is a former competitive swimmer who got into triathlon initially just to “get in shape again after gaining 20 lbs.” After doing a couple of races here and abroad, he took the big leap of organizing Ironman in the Philippines, and the rest is history. From 500 athletes projected to join in the first Ironman in the country, it now has 2,400 participants—with hundreds more waiting to get in. Ironman 70.3 was voted as Best Race by SBR Awards for the past three years while, local and foreign participants had given it one of the highest ratings among Ironman events—primarily due to the unmatched experience that it offers to pros and age groupers alike.

PHOTO BY EDSEL OCHOA

JAYMIE PIZARRO

Jaymie’s claim to triathlon fame is not triathlon per se. Instead, she’s the organizer of the TBR Dream Marathon, marketed to first-time marathon runners who eventually make it to triathlon events after their exposure to marathon running. TBR was started in 2010 with only 300 runners. On its fifth year, TBR has catered to 900 registrants. TBR aims to create a positive, affirming environment to marathon newbies: It’s essentially a 22-week event that kicks off from

registration until the moment the last runner crosses the finish line. “The goal was simply to get our runners

to the finish line of their first marathon. Even better if they continued to love running after that,” Jaymie notes.

Each TBR Dream Marathon just gets bigger and bigger, seeing its participants join more marathons, and move on to

ultra marathons, and triathlons. “By the fifth Dream Marathon, we will have close to 3,000 alumni. It’s such a great blessing to be able to

touch people’s lives through the sport I love,” she says.

PHOTO BY REKZ SARMENTO OF PHOTO-OPS

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FREDUYTENGSU

1 Ani de Leon-Brown2 Kevin Fule3 George Vilog4 Anthony Lozada5 Moi Yamoyam6 Melvin Fausto7 Norman Pascual8 Omar Paredes9 Guy Concepcion10 Ige Lopez

coachani@gmail.comfule_kevin@yahoo.comgeorgeviltriathlon@yahoo.com blsspowertri@gmail.com ask@trinmotion.commelvinfausto@gmail.comtricoachnorman@yahoo.comomar_paredes1109@yahoo.comGuy.Concepcion@gmail.commiguel_lopez7977@yahoo.com

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The coaches serve as one of the most important pillars of the triathlon community. Instrumental to the sport’s rapid growth, these dedicated people keep us fired up, ensure that we train and race properly and safely, and tirelessly help us achieve our triathlon goals—regardless of how small or big they may be. With intimate knowledge of our aspirations, they don’t just subject us to grueling training, they also instill discipline and race etiquette—traits that bring order to the sometimes-chaotic world of triathlon and even in our daily lives. Sharing our passion, we heed their counsel during training and brush elbows with them during races, forming a unique relationship not witnessed in most sports. Without them, most of us wouldn’t be where we are today.

COACHES

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PHOTO BY EDSEL OCHOA