Pinay completes 3,000-mile US run

MANILA, Philippines - Not even a bone fracture or freezing weather stopped a Filipino writer from finishing a 3,000-mile run across the United States for the benefit of Filipinos with tuberculosis and heart ailments.

Joy Rojas, 44, completed the Western Union's "Takbong Pangarap Trans-USA Run 2009," making her the first Southeast Asian woman to run across the US.

Rojas and her trainer-boyfriend Mat Macabe began their journey in the Eagle Rock Plaza in Los Angeles, California on May 10 and arrived in New York City on Nov. 22, completing a run of 3,107 miles across the United States, where she encountered elevations as high as 10,850 feet and temperatures of over 100 Fahrenheit.

Rojas also suffered a stress fracture. But after six weeks of rest, she pushed through with the last leg of her journey that took her to her final destination, Central Park in New York City.

"It started really for health (reasons)... I want to run for the sake of running only, not to be fast, not to bring medals," Rojas, a former TB patient, said in an interview with reporters at the Hotel InterContinental in Makati City.

In 2005, Rojas ran from Davao City to Pagudpud, Ilocos Norte, making her the first Filipino to run across the Philippines.

Rojas said she and her boyfriend thought of doing the same thing in other countries.

A writer for a beauty magazine, Roxas said they decided to challenge themselves with this Trans-USA run to benefit a division of the Philippine Heart Center and the Anti-TB Program of the Inner Wheel Club, District 378.

Macabe, meantime, underwent open-heart surgery in 2007.

"There are people in the Heart Center that are in need of an operation, and there are people in Quezon City who suffer from tuberculosis. We want to make their dreams of being well and healthy come true," said Rojas.

The beneficiaries will receive $5,000 or about P232,209 from Western Union.

An accomplished runner, Rojas was among the top 10 female finishers of prestigious 42K marathons such as the PAL Marathon, Milo Marathon, and Pasig River Heritage Marathon when she was a regular on the local road racing circuit from 1995 to 2002.

Her participation in the 40-day, 1,196-km Visayas leg of Fr. Robert Reyes' Trans-Philippines run, however, sparked her passion for long-distance, multi-day runs.

Rojas said she and Mat plan to write a book about their 3,000-mile run across the US.

"For me, Takbong Pangarap isn't finished yet. We are planning to write a book together... like reliving the run through the book," Rojas said.

"Takbong Pangarap was a team effort. It wasn't just Mat and me. It was all of us. Because whatever you do, be it sponsoring the project, saying a prayer for us, cheering us on, spreading the word or simply sending us good thoughts, all of that contributed to successfully getting us across 16 states," she said.

"Please think of Takbong Pangarap as your achievement, too. This is your victory as well," Rojas said.