MARIAN C. BARING<\/strong>
Sept.25, 2014
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\nAdrenaline outside the newsroom<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n
TO <\/span>journalists who\u2019re sports buffs, adrenaline from chasing stories and meeting deadlines is not enough.
As enthusiasts in their chosen sport, they hone sense of discipline and virtue of persistence and they keep themselves physically and emotionally fit, which newspaper and broadcast work requires.
Pressure of reporting, writing or editing dissipates, substituted by the good kind of high that drives them in their calling, unaided by alcohol or substance abuse. PAS<\/p>\n\n\n\nRoger Vallena<\/h5>\n\n\n\n
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Roger Vallena, Cyclist News Editor Sun.Star Superbalita [Cebu]<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n
When his daughter died in 2009, Roger Vallena decided to get a bicycle so he could easily visit her grave every morning. \u201cBiking helped me curb my depression at that time, and health-wise, I improved,\u201d said Vallena, who now has 15 bikes in his home after convincing his wife and two other children to get into the biking lifestyle.
The first race he joined with his son Nikko was to him the most memorable, not because he fell, muddied, in front of a lady rider, but because he did it with his son.
Now, Vallena said, he is healthier and his relationship with his officemates has greatly improved. \u201cI no longer suffer the symptoms of acute allergic rhinitis, and I have built a strong camaraderie with my officemates as we bond through biking all over Cebu.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\nRick Gabuya<\/h5>\n\n\n\n
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Rick Gabuya, Badminton player Sports Editor Cebu Daily News<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n
For Rick Gabuya, getting into a physical activity was needed in the battle to control his diabetes. He decided to try badminton.
\u201cIn 2003, badminton was at its peak. Badminton courts were sprouting like mushrooms, and it was very convenient for my schedule,\u201d Gabuya said. After more than 10 years, Gabuya is still at it, playing as long as time permits.
He started wielding a badminton racket knowing only the basics, learning more about the game by watching seasoned players. Joining competitions adds excitement to his game, but he\u2019s not really looking to bag a title.
Playing has widened his perspective of what athletes go through to reach the top. \u201cIt makes me appreciate their dedication, sacrifices and drive. I also learned to appreciate other sports and their inherent challenges. That helped a lot in making my job as sports editor easier and more enjoyable.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\nMaria Armie Sheila B. Garde<\/h5>\n\n\n\n
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Maria Armie Sheila B. Garde, Ultra runner Online editor Sun.Star Network Exchange<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n
Some girls can barely run a 5K, so a 42K marathon is out of the question. But Armie Garde, the night shift editor at Sunnex, runs ultramarathons and considers it a personal tradition. Ultramarathons are runs beyond the full marathon distance.
\u201cIt started in 2011 when I did a run-tour around Cebu Province with my friends. That long run inspired me to challenge myself, test my limits and run beyond 42K.\u201d
Her first ultramarathon was the Habagat 50K, and her longest run is a whopping 88 kilometers. She was set to finish the Cebu Ultrarunners Club\u2019s 100K but stopped at kilometer 88.
To train, she makes 20-kilometer runs once a week on her day off, but increases her mileage if she has an upcoming race. Running helps Garde keep job stress in check. \u201cI\u2019m one of the night editors online, and working the graveyard shift isn\u2019t healthy at all. Running helps me sweat out the stress at work and in life in general.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\nJohn Pages<\/h5>\n\n\n\n
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John Pages, Tennis player, runner, triathlete Columnist Sun.Star Cebu<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n
Before his family moved to Cebu in 1986, John Pages was a varsity basketball player of La Salle Bacolod. When he was 14, he started playing tennis and in two short years, achieved a national ranking of No. 5 for the Boys 16 division. He became the top-ranked Cebuano in the Boys 18 division.
Today, Pages is into triathlon and running as well. \u201cSports, to me, is a way of life. It is more than just looking slim and fit. It\u2019s about being healthy and feeling good about it.\u201d
Pages has not only finished marathons but also organized some of the city\u2019s biggest marathons, like the Cebu Marathon. But he said the biggest thing sports has done is to bring him closer to his daughter Jana, now 15, one of the nation\u2019s top junior players. \u201cHaving seen her develop since we started when she was two years old is a major fulfillment for a tennis dad.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\nCalvin Cordova<\/h5>\n\n\n\n
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Calvin Cordova, Basketball player Editor Cebu Daily News<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n
He has played alongside boxer Manny Pacquiao and former PBA players. Like a lot of other Filipino boys, Calvin Cordova watched PBA games and went to the neighborhood basketball court to imitate the players\u2019 moves. Today, he covers huge basketball events in the country and plays as well. He practices for two hours every Saturday.
\u201cPlaying basketball keeps my mind and body healthy. We know how hectic newsroom work can be, so it\u2019s important for us to stay in shape mentally and physically. It\u2019s one way to unwind.\u201d
Playing in the NBAC (a league for media people in Cebu) in 2007 against Sun.Star Cebu was his most memorable experience. \u201cOur mentality was, \u2018Never mind if we don\u2019t win the championship title as long as we win every game against Sun.Star.\u2019 The night before the game, our editor-in-chief, the late Ivan Suansing, gave us encouragement. We won that game. Because of that win, Sir Ivan treated us to linarang (sour and spicy fish stew) and a few bottles of beer.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\nAllan Defensor<\/h5>\n\n\n\n
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Allan Defensor, Stand-up paddler Photographer Sun.Star Cebu<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n
Allan Defensor has always been an outdoorsman, enjoying all activities that involve the open air and the open seas with the wind on his beard and sun on his bald head.
He woke up one day while on camp in Olango Island to find a guy, Buzzy Budlong, holding a paddle with a long board parked on the shore. He learned it was a stand-up paddle board for use in a sport popular in Hawaii that was being introduced by Budlong in the Philippines.
After that meeting, the rest is history. \u201cWe have been promoting the water sport, and we will be holding competitions in stand-up paddling in the near future,\u201d Defensor said.
The concept is simple: You paddle your way on the water, standing up on a board. Knowing the tides and the water current is what makes this activity exciting.
Defensor, who has paddled the Hilutungan Channel from Olango to the mainland of Lapu-Lapu City, said they hope to bring the islanders of Cebu back to the sea to get to know the sea better.<\/p>\n\n\n\nLemuel Maglinte<\/h5>\n\n\n\n
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Lemuel Maglinte, MMA Fighter Assistant Sports Editor The Freeman<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n
They say your first fight will be your most memorable. And for Mixed Martial Arts fighter Lemuel Maglinte, it was. \u201cI can still remember how nerve-wracking it was. I won that fight. But I will never forget it because it was the first and last time my father came to see me climb the ring before he got sick and passed away.\u201d
The assistant sports editor and reporter who covers contact sports now understands how fighters train and manage their weight. \u201cIt gave me a better understanding of a fighter\u2019s struggle. I have a deeper feeling for their struggles, their pain when injured, their frustrations in defeat and the happiness in victory.\u201d
Maglinte looks ahead to a brighter future as the fighting sports editor. He never even thought that what started as just a fitness regimen in his bid to lose weight would put him inside an octagon winning his debut fight.<\/p>\n\n\n\nMark Bautista<\/h5>\n\n\n\n
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Mark Bautista, Motocross rider Reporter GMA 7<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n
At 17, Mark Anthony Bautista joined his first dirtbike competition on a borrowed bike in his hometown in Bayugan City, Agusan del Sur. The daredevil thought he had everything under control until the bike overheated and he bombed out of contention. That was when he decided to save to buy his own bike.
\u201cA lot of kids from my hometown were doing motocross. That and watching Jeremy McGrath (motocross champion) inspired me to try it,\u201d said the GMA 7 reporter.
In Bayugan, he could hit the dirt track at least twice a week. Now, as a family man with a career on television in Cebu, Bautista navigates his bike on uncharted tracks only on his days off.
\u201cCebu does not have a dirt track, and these bikes aren\u2019t usually used on paved roads. So I just do solo rides. Seeing the scenic views relaxes me aron dili ma buryog (so I don\u2019t get bored) covering the police beat and calamities and disaster. That, and spending time with my girlfriend and son get me recharged for another hectic week on the field.\u201d
Bautista\u2019s love for excitement does not stop there; he looks forward to joining triathlons in the future.<\/p>\n\n\n\nPublio Briones III<\/h5>\n\n\n\n
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Publio Briones III, Runner Page Editor Sun.Star Cebu<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n
Back in 2010, I had an executive checkup at Chong Hua Hospital. When my results came back, the doctor told me my triglyceride level (a type of fat in the blood) was high. The normal level was 150. Mine was 480. Apparently, I was a shoo-in extra for the series, \u201cThe Walking Dead.\u201d
So I started to walk (I wanted the part). And from 2010 until 2013, that\u2019s all I did. Until in July last year, a friend, Atty. Oscar Tan, accosted me at the Cebu City Sports Center. He cajoled me into joining him and his friends, members of the A2Z Runners\u2019 Club. They were running hobbyists\u2026 past their prime to run competitively but young enough to dream.
My first attempts at running were dismal, to say the least. I could barely jog 800 meters without huffing and puffing. But my running family (Yes, I\u2019m now a member of that elite A2Z Runners\u2019 Club) was all encouragement. It also helped that our topics of conversation were always varied and interesting, ranging from the bizarre to the downright tawdry. If I wanted \u201cin\u201d on the latest \u201cunofficial\u201d news, I had to keep pace. So I did. And I have.
Today, I run with the group at least five times a week. That\u2019s a minimum of five kilometers from Monday to Thursday, excluding the mandatory pre- and post-walk (around two kilometers). We usually have long runs on weekends (at least 12 kilometers). Our trainer, Tirso, gives us our schedule for the day. So we alternate between easy jogs, speed work and tempo runs.
Earlier this year, I joined the 12K Parklane run. The race started at 4:30 a.m. I had only two hours of sleep and still reeked of chicos, but I finished it in 1:22 minutes. Not bad for someone who could barely walk a few paces a few years back.
Since taking that first step four years ago, I have lost almost 70 pounds.
My colleagues have gotten used to seeing me walk into the newsroom in a tight black sleeveless shirt, sweat glistening from my muscled biceps.
I\u2019m very lucky to have colleagues who\u2019ve supported me in this new phase of my life. Despite my being 36 for the last eight years.<\/p>\n\n\n\nJonas Panerio, Swimmer<\/h5>\n\n\n\n
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Jonas Panerio, Swimmer, basketball player Sports Reporter Cebu Daily News<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n
The main reason he learned to swim was survival. \u201cMy parents did not want me to drown. That was it,\u201d said Jonas Panerio. After the lessons, he thought nothing of it until Grade 2 when a Physical Education teacher scoured the class for students who wanted to compete in swimming. \u201cMindlessly, I raised my hand, and the rest, they say, is history,\u201d he said.
Panerio has had a stint with the Philippine team, winning silver in an individual event. He was part of the relay team that won silver in the Southeast Asian Age Group Championships.
When Panerio quit competitive swimming, his passion shifted to basketball, and he now plays with and against some of the city\u2019s and country\u2019s best players. Panerio\u2019s passion for sports is what keeps him on top of his game as a sports reporter for Cebu Daily News. Other than that, he said, should the city be flooded, he wouldn\u2019t have to worry about drowning.<\/p>\n\n\n\nNoel Villaflor<\/h5>\n\n\n\n
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Noel Villaflor, Football player Weekend editor Sun.Star Cebu<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n
There are two things Noel Villaflor is passionate about: writing and football.
At a writer\u2019s workshop in Dumaguete City years back, he played football during his free time and dislocated his shoulder. The magazine editor and Sun.Star Cebu football columnist dislocated that same shoulder five more times on the pitch, but he just keeps playing.
His love of the sport started in high school. \u201cThere was a huge football field right behind the classrooms, so it was natural for us, UP high school students, to kick ball after the bell rang,\u201d said Villaflor, who scored a goal in his first Latagaw Tournament in UP Diliman.
\u201cAs a pastime, anyone can play football, whether you\u2019re tall or short, lanky or stubby. It\u2019s not unusual to see kickabouts where girls and boys, kids and adults play together,\u201d said Villaflor, now one of the country\u2019s most respected football columnists.
When he was younger, his face was always at the pitch. Now older and, well, stubbier, and busier, he tries to get out of training. \u201cIf I miss the practice sessions, I have the perfect excuse: I was busy writing about football.\u201d
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The industry’s sports buffs MARIAN C. BARINGSept.25, 2014 Adrenaline outside the newsroom TO journalists who’re sports buffs, adrenaline from chasing stories and meeting deadlines is not enough. As enthusiasts in their chosen sport, they hone sense of discipline and virtue of persistence and they keep themselves physically and emotionally fit, which newspaper and broadcast work requires. […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":30,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":[],"categories":[20],"tags":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/cebujournalism.ph\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/888"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/cebujournalism.ph\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/cebujournalism.ph\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/cebujournalism.ph\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/30"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/cebujournalism.ph\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=888"}],"version-history":[{"count":12,"href":"https:\/\/cebujournalism.ph\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/888\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":10310,"href":"https:\/\/cebujournalism.ph\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/888\/revisions\/10310"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/cebujournalism.ph\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=888"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/cebujournalism.ph\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=888"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/cebujournalism.ph\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=888"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}
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