Get to know these Palarong Pambansa athletes with inspiring journeys

Cristelle Sarcauga, a 16-year-old student-athlete from Bayugo National High School in Rizal, made waves when she won the first gold medal at the Weightlifting Demo Sport - 53kg Girls Category at this year’s games. 

She secured a record of 64kg Snatch lift and 83kg Clean and Jerk, earning a total of 147kg lift to clinch the gold.  

She is among the students of the Weightlifting Academy founded by Olympian Hidilyn Diaz-Naranjo in Jala-Jala Rizal. In her interview with DepEd, she said she dreams of becoming an Olympian like Hidilyn, who brought home the Philippines’ first-ever Olympic gold medal in 2020. 

“Gusto ko pong maging Olympian and represent the Philippines and gusto ko pong mapatunayan na hindi lang ako basta babae,” Cristelle said. 

“Mahal na mahal ko na po talaga ang weightlifting, lalo na po ngayon may napatunayan na ako. Isa po itong patunay na hindi porke’t babae ka, mahina ka na, kailangan mong patunayan sa kanila na pantay-pantay tayo at kaya natin,” she added. 

Mark Neil “Macoy” Del Prado 

Macoy Del Prado, a grade 11 student from Balanacan High School in Marinduque, has a congenital deformity in the hand.

In his interview with the regional DepEd association MIMAROPA Tamaraws, Macoy started practicing billiards at age seven, but never really focused on it until the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020, when his father gifted him a small pool table after he noticed his interest in the sport. 

Upon training for the sport, the young athlete shared that he struggled the most to find his grip on the cue stick due to his condition, but instead of giving up, he persevered and developed his own technique. 

Throughout his career, Macoy has bagged his wins, but most especially losses that have humbled him. 

“Marami na akong nasalihang tournaments at halos lahat champion ako. Nalula po ako noon, akala ko ako na ang pinakamagaling sa bilyar sa mga kasing edad ko sa Marinduque,” he told MIMAROPA Tamaraw.  

“Kumpiyansado po ako..hanggang sa mangyari ang ‘di inaasahan—natalo po ako sa Provincial Meet 2023-2024,” he added. 

Macoy was able to compete at this year’s Palarong Pambansa, also marking his last stint as a student-athlete. He made it until the first elimination round.  

His journey proves that such deformity won’t hinder one’s dream. 

“Noong una po, binu-bully po nila ako dahil sa [diperensiya] po ang daliri ko. Pero, hindi ko po pinansin, tinuloy ko pa rin po ‘yong paglalaro dahil alam kong pong balang araw aangat din po ako,” he told DepEd. 

“Hindi po ito hadlang. Wala pong espesyal, wala ring kulang. Pantay lang po sa mesa ng buhay.” 

Trixia Anne Arellano  

Eleven-year-old Trixia Anne Arellano from Iloilo made headlines by winning two gold medals, barefoot, at the games. She dominated both the 100m and 200m events, even setting a new record in the latter for the elementary division

Unlike other athletes wearing their trusty running shoes, Trixia, a newbie in athletics, only had tapes covering her feet during the games.  

Due to her speed, she earned her moniker “Super Tikya” from her fellow athletes.  

In a quick interview on the sidelines with The Philippine STAR, Trixia said she prefers running barefoot as it allows her to perform at her full speed, unlike when wearing shoes.
 
 
“Masayang-masaya po, first time ko po kasing mag-Palaro tapos sumikat ako. May mga nagsasabi bibigyan daw po nila akong sapatos saka gamit,” she said, per DepEd. 

Other than her dream of becoming a police officer, Trixia aims to become an Olympian, inspired by Hidilyn and two-time Olympic gold medalist Carlos Yulo.  

Felix Camansi 

A former construction worker from Davao, Felix Camansi's life took a turn in 2022 when an under-construction bridge collapsed and hit his leg, leading to amputation. 

The traumatic event has made him feel hopeless, but this tragedy led him to a redirection when Felix, a Special Needs Education learner, was convinced by his teacher to join a para-swimming event despite his fear of swimming in deep waters. 

He was able to compete as a para-swimmer in Palarong Pambansa 2024 in Cebu City, where he won gold and two silver medals.  

“Ginawa kong inspirasyon ‘yung diskriminasyon [na naranasan ko] para makamit at matupad ko ang mga pangarap ko at ng mga magulang ko sa buhay,” Felix said. 

He competed in the 50m backstroke and 50m butterfly stroke at this year’s games.

"Isang karangalan para sa akin ito dahil nakalaban ko ang mga kagaya ko na may kapansanan. [Masaya] ako para sa kanila dahil napapakita namin sa ibang tao na kung anong kaya gawain ng isang normal na tao ay kaya rin namin gawin," he added. 

Mariella Tuliao

Mariella Tuliao, a young gymnast from NCR, proved that all body types can be as graceful and strong in gymnastics.

Regardless of conventional body types often seen in gymnastics, Mariella ensures she turns heads and leaves her mark on the floor. In this year's Palarong Pambansa, she placed fourth in the individual all-around, Women's Artistic Gymnastics C3, and contributed to a gold medal for Team NCR in Team events.

Ivenn Jay Tolomia 

Ivenn Jay Tolomia was born with Glucose-6-Phosphate Dehydrogenase (G6PD) deficiency. According to Medline Plus, this genetic disorder affects red blood cells. Its common problem is hemolytic anemia, which causes jaundice, fatigue, rapid heart rate, and more. 

This initially prevented the young athlete from Zamboanga Sibugay from becoming an athlete until he tried his hand at sports again, specifically badminton. 

“Nung napagdesisyonan niyang papasok siya sa sports last year, sa awa ng Diyos, hindi na po siya nagkasakit, hanggang ngayon physically fit po siya,” said his father Vic, a teacher, coach, and a former baseball athlete.  

Ivenn, who is also a consistent honor student, wasn’t able to win any games this year, but for his family, participating in this year’s game has been a huge win, especially considering his condition.  
 

Jono Sanchez

At a young age, Jono Sanchez, a boxer from Palawan, has been helping his family make ends meet. It was his routine until he took an interest in boxing.

By the time he reached high school in 2022, he started training for the sport. Per his feature in MIMAROPA Tamaraws, he initially didn't cut to participate in the provincial tournament due to budget constraints. But Jono, eager and prepared, chased the vehicle of his coach's father and begged for a chance to try out for a different team. Fortunately, he was given a chance, and he made sure not to disappoint as he was able to bag silver in his major fight.

In 2023, he was able to join DepEd sports, played in division and regional meets, and earned medals along the way. But more than the wins, Jono makes sure to fulfill his promise to provide for his family, saving the allowances and incentives he received and giving them all to his parents to build their house, little by little.