Kids show guts in Ayala multi-sports

MANILA, Philippines - The young breed of triathletes and aquathletes showed their potentials in yesterday’s 2010 Super Tri-Kids Multi-Sports Festival held at the Narra Park inside the plush Ayala Alabang Village in Muntinlupa.

Kids as young as four years old got up early morning to be at the venue to compete in this multi-sport event organized by Triathlon Association of the Philippines in cooperation with the Ayala Alabang Village Association (AAVA).

Distances in the race varied depending on the age category, as the event also supported by Speedo, Citibank, David’s Salon and Sunkist Vitwater, was also turned into a family-oriented affair with immediate families on hand to cheer and support these young triathletes.

The Super Tri-Kids program was created in 2005 as a continuation to the Fit N’Tri program then under Rick Ledesma and Lito Fugoso.

Since its inception, participants in the STK continued to grow and competitors in the race reached more than 200 with majority of them first timers in the sport.

“The STK is TRAP’s grassroots program with the objective of luring more young participants in this sport. We are very happy with the turnout since it shows the continued growth of triathlon in the country,” said TRAP president Tom Carrasco Jr.

All finishers and the top three placers per age group in the boys and girls class received medals with four-year old Keira Ellis cited as the youngest participant in this race.

Speedo Ad and Promo officer Edelyn Yanalla and Citibank marketing manager Rio Mayuga joined TRAP secretary-general Rick Reyes and coach Ani Karina De Leon in the presentation of medals to the winners.

Winners in aquathlon were Juliana Bianca Almarinez (girls under 6); Julius Ralph Osias and Angelina Powell (7-8); Juan Miguel Turiana and Katyana Marie Luneta (9-10); Lance Vincent Plaza and Samantha Cyrine Ibe (11-12); Edward Macaladi and Stephanie Agnes Manalo (13-15); and Davide Anese and Lynn Wen Ong (adult).

Top finishers in the triathlon were Ganden Po and Cassandra Parco (under-6); Juan Emanuel Samudio and Enya Zibell (9-10); Hamish Roldan Seddon and Aisya Farisha Farid (11-12); Elbert Gene Paguia and Aina Farhana Farid (13-15); and Elbert Paguia and Enriquez Chin (adult).