Three Olympians and a Paralympian recently passed away within a matter of weeks but even as they’ve gone to a better place, their exploits as national athletes will forever be remembered. They competed for the country proudly on the world’s biggest sports stage and will never be forgotten.
Haydee Coloso Espino, who was once called Asia’s “Swim Queen,” collected three gold, five silver and two bronze medals at the 1954, 1958 and 1962 Asian Games. She would’ve swum for the Philippines at the 1956 Olympics but became pregnant. Espino, however, made it to the 1960 Olympics in the 100-meter freestyle as a mother of two. She died last Aug. 12 at 83.
Rafael (Paing) Hechanova was on the Philippine basketball team that placed ninth of 23 teams at the 1952 Olympics. Among his Helsinki teammates were Caloy Loyzaga, Tony Genato and Ramoncito Campos with Fely Fajardo as coach. Hechanova was a mainstay of two national championship teams at the 1951 and 1954 Asian Games. He was the founding chairman of the Philippine Olympians Association which was established in 2002. Hechanova died last Aug. 26 at 93.
Leopoldo Serantes struck gold twice as a lightflyweight boxer at the 1985 and 1987 SEA Games then brought home a bronze at the 1988 Olympics. Serantes died at the Veterans Memorial Hospital in Quezon City last Sept. 1 at 59. A few weeks before his death, Serantes was assured by Chooks to Go of a P100,000 monthly lifetime allowance in honor of his athletic feats.
Josephine Medina ruled table tennis at the 2008, 2014, 2015 and 2017 ASEAN Para Games with a haul of seven gold medals. She bagged two silvers and a bronze at the 2010, 2014 and 2018 Asian Para Games. But her crowning glory was claiming a bronze at the 2016 Rio Paralympics. She died last Sept. 2 at 51.
In an interview last year, Espino recalled a memorable moment when she won the gold in the 100-meter freestyle at the 1954 Asian Games in Manila. “I started way behind but in the last 10 meters, I had a sudden burst of speed and beat the Japanese swimmers Tomiko Atarashi and Shizue Miyabe,” she recounted. “It was at the Rizal pool and I was only 16. I was in between the two Japanese. In the last five meters, I gave it my all. The jam-packed grandstand nearly collapsed. My mother (Alicia Lanestosa) fainted. I will never forget the roar from the crowd.” In her prime, Espino broke three national records. After retiring from sports, she became a teacher and was inducted into the PSC Hall of Fame in 2016. Espino left behind seven children and three grandchildren.
Known for his suffocating defense, Hechanova led UST to the UAAP, Inter-Collegiate and National Open titles in 1951. At the commercial level, he was a fixture with the YCO Painters and joined the team on an exhibition tour of Spain in 1955. Since 2017, Hechanova underwent dialysis thrice a week but remained active with the family’s real estate company and of course, the POA which had a special place in his heart.