65th Palarong Pambansa opening ceremony at Ferdinand E. Marcos Memorial Stadium. –PSC PHOTO
For years, the Palarong Pambansa has been the breeding ground for the Philippines’ most promising young athletes, launching careers that would go on to shape the country’s brightest sporting stars.
This year in Laoag, Ilocos Norte, Trixia Anne Arellano hopped on that trend, stepping into the moment to become the meet’s unexpected sprint sensation, her eyes set towards the Olympic Games.
“My dream is to become an Olympian like Hidilyn Diaz and Carlos Yulo,” she told DepEd Public Affairs Service after her double-gold conquest in the 100-meter and 200-meter elementary girls race of the national meet held at Ferdinand E. Marcos Memorial Stadium.
The 11-year-old trackster from Concepcion Central School in Iloilo City, hardly looked like it was her first Palaro, flying down the track to shatter a 17-year-old national record fueled by sheer willpower and determination, with feet swaddled in athletic tape—a choice made out of convenience rather than necessity.
“I wanted to be light,” Arellano told reporters shortly after battling a bout with fever on the way to ruling the 100-meter race, which added to her haul.
“My shoes gave out in the 200-meter heats,” she added. “I’m not used to wearing anything, so I asked permission [from my coaches to do this again], in the Final.”
A day before Arellano’s breakout run, 13-year-old Chrisia Mae Tajarros of Eastern Visayas claimed her long-awaited gold in the secondary girls’ 3000 meters, a year after winning hearts by running barefoot to a silver.
Arellano, who just turned 11 last Tuesday, ran almost barefoot and clocked 26.4 seconds to finish first while also taking down the almost two-decade record of 26.7 set by Maureen Schrijvers back in 2008.
It was a product of hard work that was doubly tedious, according to coach Benedicto Prasas, who trained the young sprinter in a facility in a coastal town nearly an hour’s travel north of her school.
“She has potential, that’s why we brought her to Carles. From there, she began her training. At around 5 or 6 in the morning, she would already be training. After that, she would (still) attend class,” he said.