Negrenses in Sports

 

This month, Negros Season of Culture (insert link here) celebrates sports.

Negrense Julie Uychiat is an international-class marathon runner. This year

she will take on the World Marathon Challenge 2022 – seven marathons on

seven continents in seven days. And yet, just seven years ago, Julie hated

running. And only because up until 2015 she’s had no running background.

Self-imposed fear of failure went out the window when her sister urged her

to give running a chance, saying, “It won’t kill you”. And we all know what

happens when something doesn’t kill you.

Stronger, Julie has since done almost all of the major world marathons –

Berlin, Chicago, Boston, New York, London, and soon, Tokyo. And in

October this year, at the World Marathon Challenge, she will be running to

raise awareness and funds for the children of Kalipay Negrense Foundation.

Synchronized swimming, now renamed artistic swimming because solo and

duet events have been added to the traditional group performance, has

attracted Negrense Giella Sanchez. She is a mover of the Garcia-Sanchez

Swim School in Bacolod, the same Garcia-Sanchez family that has excelled

for years in dance and performing arts. From these disciplines, Giella

summons a balance of grace and skill.

Focused on this goal, the Garcia-Sanchez Swim School has formed an

artistic swim team with Giella as coach. She performs duet with her niece

Carmina. Meanwhile, Carmina also represents the team in artistic

swimming solo category. The Garcia-Sanchez Artistic Swimming Team has

competed for the Philippines, reflecting the Negrense desire to step up the

plate and live up to the challenge.

MTB DH is Mountain Bike Downhill. The Jumpong Hill Downhill Bike

Challenge recently held in Don Salvador Benedicto, Negros Occidental, was

the first live event that Negros Season of Culture covered. We followed one

of the racers, Lek Brodeth, the leader of the Cyclopaedia Race Team.

Lek’s journey to biking was totally unplanned but strewn with obstacles

that came in quick succession, pushing the detours he made. But a knee

injury and the pandemic lockdown had plans for Lek other than retirement.

The lure of MTB DH adrenaline rush was just too much to resist. The

Negrense’s passion for adventure does not fade. It may rest to heal, it may even morph, but for sure it will rise again.

Text By: Alan S. Gensoli

Photos By: Unit A Creatives, Julie Uychiat