ORMOC CITY, Philippines – A powerlifter from this city placed second overall in the juniors category of the World Powerlifting Championship held in Orashaza, Hungary earlier this month.
Regie Ramirez, a 21-year-old freshman education student of the Eastern Visayas State University-Ormoc campus, was one of two Filipino delegates sent by the Philippine Sports Commission to the competition held Sept. 3 to 6.
The other delegate, 16-year-old Jasmine Martin from Quezon City, placed third in the female juniors category.
Only Ramirez and Martin qualified to represent the country in the World Powerlifting Championship organized by the International Powerlifting Federation.
Ramirez said he placed second overall because he gained a silver medal in squat, another silver medal in deadlift, and a bronze medal for bench press in the juniors category, which is for lifters aged 18-23.
Russian Kiiril Krut placed first, while Italian Boujaoudi Mouchine placed third in the juniors category.
The feat of Ramirez in Hungary is the latest in his long list of recognitions here and abroad.
Ramirez won his first trophy in 2010 when he was adjudged champion during the Visayas Powerlifting Championship.
After this, he competed in the Asian Bench Press Championship and brought home the gold medal. For four straight years, he was undefeated in the competition, overpowering delegates from other Asian countries.
He also earned gold medals in Asian Powerlifting Championship held in Japan in 2012, in India in 2013 where he also set an Asian record, and in Makati City last August.
Ramirez also represented the Philippines in the past three World Powerlifting Championships. In 2011, he came home from Canada with a silver medal. In 2012, he got silver and gold medals from Poland, and in 2013 he received a gold medal although third in overall ranking.
But Ramirez said he never thought he would become a powerlifter.
He used to be a ballet dancer, but since male ballet dancers are required to lift their partners, he needed to be trained in lifting. That was when his strength and potential in lifting were discovered by his uncle Tony Koykka, a former six-time World Powerlifting Champion himself.
Since then, Ramirez left ballet and shifted to weight lifting.
Ramirez says his secret to success was “good training, good rest, and a good coach.”
He also advised other athletes to avoid using performance enhancing drugs and go with the “slow but sure” way of accomplishing feats.
“If you want to achieve something, set goals and then do your best,” he said. “(After all) sports is not all about winning all the time, it’s about beating your old self.”