Raising champions one power breakfast at a time

MANILA, Philippines - To raise awareness on the importance of breakfast to youth development, Milo brought two new faces on board to lead by example. College basketball prodigy Kiefer Ravena and rising cager Prince Carlos join professional athlete Chris Tiu in exemplifying the Milo brand of sportsmanship and wellness.

As three of the most esteemed and accomplished alumni of the Milo-sponsored Basketball Efficiency Scientific Training (BEST) Center program, Kiefer, Prince, and Chris know the importance of replenishing their bodies with energy and nutrients for a hard day on and off the court. While striking a balance between the physical demands of sports and maintaining a healthy lifestyle is a challenge in itself, these champions are equipped with the discipline and values brought by years of training at home.

For years, these Milo champs have looked to their mothers for guidance before taking on the challenges ahead. To prove that the best athletes are not born but raised, Mozzy Ravena, Olive Carlos, and Lianne Tiu share their role in developing their sons’ athletic prowess.

“Whenever people tell us that Kiefer owes his champion genes from us, we get flattered, of course. But as much as we could, we try to tell them that more than genes, it’s the champion habits and values we have instilled in him since he was little,” says mom Mozzy Ravena. “The most basic and most important of these champion habits is the discipline of eating a healthy breakfast every morning. It energizes him to start early and accomplish more.”

The 19-year-old Kiefer bested athletes from other institutions in the UAAP Junior and College hoop play-offs and has won multiple awards in the Milo-sponsored SBP-Passarelle twin tournaments.

Like Kiefer, Prince also starts his day strong. “When he was younger, my husband and I promised ourselves that we would let Prince enjoy his childhood to the fullest. We would let him indulge in whatever activity he wants on the condition that it doesn’t interfere with homework and review. Eventually, Prince’s interest shifted to basketball, so we enrolled him in the Milo-ponsored BEST Center Basketball Clinic,” relates Prince’s mom Olive. “To give him enough energy to make the most of his day, I’d always serve him a tall glass of Milo with a hearty breakfast set before he takes off for school and training.”

The young athlete has displayed his potential at the country’s most prominent annual interschool league for elementary and high school basketball players, the Milo-sponsored SBP-Passarelle twin tournament, as a key player of De La Salle Zobel’s basketball varsity team. While competing in various leagues, 12-year-old Prince also maintains an exemplary performance in school.

Even SEA Games titlist and TV personality Chris Tiu marks every triumph as a result of a well-maintained health improved by a full breakfast and a positive attitude about sports.

“Chris has been a Milo drinker since he was seven years old. The summer I enrolled him in the Milo-sponsored BEST Center Basketball Clinic, he would always wake up ahead of us because he was excited to train. Through his training with Milo-BEST, he learned how to manage his time and became more responsible in terms of taking care of his body,” says Chris’ mom Lianne. “He would start the day with a healthy breakfast and a warm mug of Milo. Breakfast and Milo give him the energy he needs to accomplish more throughout the day.”

Milo contains a combination of Protomalt and Actigen-E, to help ensure that your child has enough energy to perform well throughout the day,” says Janice Yang, Milo brand manager, Nestle Philippines.

For more information, log on to the Milo Philippines Facebook page and follow the Milo Twitter account (@MiloPH).