MANILA, Philippines - Winning has always been theend in mind. But these days, with every steal, shift, surf or skate, these athletes are also quickly debunking the jock stereotype by simply translating discipline into domination.
You have brothers Jeric and Jeron Teng, the local shooting guard versions of the NBA’s Gasol brothers. As co-captain of the UST Growling Tigers, Jeric has since won Rookie of the Year, stuffed the stat sheet on a regular basis, and just a day before this photo shoot, helped UST exact revenge from AdMU by claiming their first PCCL trophy. His younger brother Jeric is a contender himself, who once knocked down a game-winning shot to lift his DLSU Green Archers over his own brother’s team last August. Brotherly rivalry at its most cold-blooded, yes.
Sibling story part two goes to Michele and Mark Bumgarner, two German-Filipino international formula racers who do nothing but score breakthroughs for Philippine motorsports. As the first female champion of the Rock Island Grand Prix in Illinois, Michele is matched by his brother Mark, who not only karts but also designs high-end womenswear.
Carla Sebastian, meanwhile, is a rising surfer who’s come a long way from surfing as a weekend getaway. Her tan is proof of all the paddling, wave carving, and endorsing she’s done out there. At such a young age, she’s already nailed 15-foot waves and won the Women’s Longboard Division of the 6th MSA Cup in La Union. Now, she’s a Stoked Inc. team rider out for more ocean glory.
And then there’s Gerard Cancio, a longboarder with a thing for winning streaks. With a dead-eyed focus for the road, he breezes by like a helmeted python on neon wheels, dominating races like the Whiskey Hill 7, Gravity Games Asia, and most recently Haven’s Gate in Tanay, where he had to overcome a pulled hamstring. We can only speculate where he draws his inspiration from, as do all these adept bros and girls.