JULY 2013

Plus: HigHLigHts of tHe

LeagUes from maniLa to batangas and sUbic

Meet Courtney Melissa tan Gray, Pride of Puerto PrinCesa

Pool PrinCess

The MCT 411WHat YoU need to knoW to staY in top form

PuMP uP The

InTensITyget readY

to taper off

CARBOLOADInGtHe rigHt WaY to fUeL Up

GOInGMenTAL

Win tHe race before Hitting

tHe Water

2 CARBO LOADING The right way to fuel up

3 FANtAstIC swImtAstIC Cherifer partners with Swim Philippines

for Cherifer Little League Swimtastics

4 GOING meNtAL Winning the race before hitting the water

5 tApeR OFF Getting ready for the competition

6 pOOL pRINCess Meet Courtney Melissa Tan Gray, the

pride of Puerto Princesa

8 stAy IN tOp FORm Lower your chances of incurring injury

with three helpful routines

9 IN Depth A look into our growing community

10 Be seeN Aquashpere Open Water Series,

YellowCab Tri-Clark DIY Series: Open Water Swimming, Alaska Ironkids, POC-PSC National Games

12 swIm KIDs Meet the sport’s future stars

A thousand years ago, I ran for my university’s track and field team. I got into middle distances primarily because I liked running around our university’s tree-lined avenues. The morning before we were to compete in an inter-school meet at the Rizal Memorial Coliseum, our team captain took us to this shawarma shop in Harrison Plaza, and advised us to eat all the shawarmas we could muster. It was her version of carbo loading! I remember this now because Harvie de Baron has a very enlightening piece about carbo loading in this issue—and it would be very helpful for all of you to read it. It is also in this issue where we meet the lovely lass that is Courtney Melissa Tan-Gray. I had a very nice time chatting with her, and I must say that she is wise beyond her years. As for the track meet, well, I lost, and it wasn’t because of all the shawarmas I ate. I just wasn’t fast enough; which is why I am writer, and not the graceful athletes that you all are! Enjoy the issue!

CONTENTSeDItOR IN ChIeF Jing LejanoDesIGN & LAyOut Mikke GallardoeDItORIAL AssOCIAte Janina Tan

CONtRIButORs Thea Alcantara, Mach Frigillana, Chappy Callanta, Harvie De Baron,

Betsy MedallamARKetING Monique Morales and Precy Santos

phOtOGRApheR Erik LiongorenhAIR AND mAKe-up Liza Dosano

ACKNOwLeDGmeNts: Planet Sports Inc. • TRAP • PSI

puBLIsheR: Torque Integrated

ADDRess ALL CORRespONDeNCe tO 893 eDsA, BRGy. sOuth tRIANGLe, quezON CIty 1103

teL: 929-5982FAx: 929-6322

weBsIte: www.swIm.phe-mAIL: mARKetING@tORqueINt.CO

twItteR: @swImmAGphFACeBOOK: FACeBOOK.COm/swImphILIppINes

eDItOR's NOte

06

on coUrtneY:arena aquaforce infinity

You may reach Har v ie de baron through email har v iedebaron@gmail .com, facebook /har v iespor tsnutr i t ionis t or twit ter @baronmethod for more informat ion about his spor ts nutr i t ion ser v ices .

HEALTH • NUTRITION • wELLNEss

2

CALenDAR OF eVenTs

MARIkInA sPORTs ARenASumulong Highway corner Shoe Ave., Marikina City

(632) 682-9573/943-2140Tuesday-Sunday (8-11AM, 1-4:30PM, 5:30-9:30PM)Pool Detail: 50mx25m, 9 lanes, 4-5ft depth, roofed

PAsAy CITy sPORTs CenTeRDerham St. corner FB Harrison, Pasay City

(632) 831-4792Monday-Friday (8-11:30AM, 1-4:30PM)

Pool Detail: 25m, roofed

PhILsPORTs swIMMInG POOL COMPLex (uLTRA POOL)

Meralco Ave., Pasig CityTuesday-Sunday (8-11:30AM, 1-4:30PM)

Pool Detail: 50m, 9 lanes, outdoor

AMORAnTO sPORTs COMPLex Don A. Roces Ave., Quezon City

(632) 568-2137Tuesday-Sunday (9-12:00PM, 1-4:00 PM)

Pool Detail: 50m, 8 lanes, outdoor

RIzAL MeMORIAL sPORTs COMPLexPablo Ocampo Sr. St., Malate, Manila

(632) 525-2171Tuesday-Sunday (8-11:30AM, 1-4:30PM)

Pool Detail: 50mx20m, 4ft-8ft depth, outdoor

MAkATI AquA sPORTs ARenAJ.P. Rizal Ext., West Rembo, Makati City

(632) 728-0381 to 83Tuesday-Sunday (8AM-10PM)

Pool Detail: 50m, 8 lanes, outdoor

D’ACe PLAzA InDOOR heATeD POOLUnited Cor. Brixton St. Bgy. Kapitolyo, Pasig City

514-7520Monday-Friday: 8AM-9PM, Saturday: 8AM-5PM

Pool Detail: 25m, roofed

ACe wATeR sPA InDOOR heATeD POOL399 Del Monte Ave. Cor. Banawe St. San Francisco

Del Monte QC.367-8041 / 367-8062

Monday-Friday: 8AM - 9PM, Saturday: 8AM - 5PMPool Detail: 25m, roofed

Public Pool Venue DIReCtORy

(MeTRo MAnIlA)

JuLy 21 Tri Tri Series: Aguathlon

AuGust 17 Speedo All boys

18 Speedo All Girls

20 ncAA Swim Meet

swIM PhILIPPInes

The practice of loading up on carbo has always been de rigueur among athletes who want to stock up on fuel to have more power on race day. Athletes load up on carbs the day before the race because it takes the whole night

after dinner for all that carbohydrate to be converted into usable glycogen stores. Glycogen stores basically serve as one’s “fuel” for the race. Carbo loading doesn’t mean eating every carbo-rich food in sight, however. This would only make you feel heavy and sluggish on the day of the race. The right way to load up on carbohydrates is to change the proportion of your food intake. If your diet normally consists of 60 percent carbs, 25 percent protein, and 15 percent fat, you need to tweak the proportion to 70 percent carbs, 15 percent protein, and 15 percent fat during your cardo loading binge. It would be best to start following this new diet a week before your race to “teach” your glycogen stores to absorb more fuel. When it comes to swimmers, carbo loading is not appropriate on race day. Loading up on carbo is more appropriate for athletes participating in long distance events (Read: at least 2 hours straight). Swimmers are actually better off carbo loading on their regular training days because that’s when they exert more effort and expend more energy. Indeed, training can be seen as a long distance event. Because swimmers have other responsibilities outside the pool, they should be eating frequently to fuel their activities during the day. This will help them recover better despite their demanding schedules. Carbo loading for swimmers also involves eating immediately after a training session. Swimmers shouldn’t wait until they get home before eating something. They should take something as soon as the day’s training is over. When carbo loading, swimmers should focus on consistently eating quality food and strictly following eating schedules. Don’t copy another swimmer’s eating schedule just because he is getting good results. no two eating schedules are alike as each take into account the swimmer’s everyday routine, work load, swimming style, body composition, age, and gender. Sports nutrition is a science but its individual application is an art form.

Carbo LoadingtHe rigHt WaY to fUeL Up!by harvie de baron

loAd uP on SPAGheTTi

mAKe sOme! It’s eAsy peAsy!

What you’ll need: 50 to 60 grams spaghetti noodles (durum Wheat semolina)1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil2 cloves garlic, chopped finely1 tablespoon and 1 teaspoon chopped onion70 grams ground beef1 cup tomato sauce 1 cup button mushrooms, slicedparmesan cheese, salt, and muscovado sugar to taste

What to do:1 cook spaghetti according to package directions.2 Heat pan. add one tablespoon olive oil. 3 over low heat, sauté garlic and onions for a minute.4 add ground beef. saute until brown.5 add tomato sauce. Let simmer.6 add mushrooms. simmer. 7 add salt and sugar to taste.8 toss meat sauce in spaghetti. sprinkle with parmesan cheese.

Cherifer, together with Swim Philippines, spearheaded Meet 1 of the Cherifer Little League Swimtastics last April 14, 2013 at the Montessori de Sagrada Familia (MDSF) in Baliuag, Bulacan. Participants from all over the metro came together for a fun-filled, out-of-town competition. This is the first of four meets, the last being the Championships to be held in the world-class facility of the Trace Aquatic Center in Los Banos, Laguna. The Cherifer Little League Swimtastics Series aims to discover, develop, and empower developmental swimmers from ages 5 to 15. Now on its third year, the Little League Swimtastics has secured its place as a popular competition series for how it has reinvented meets at the developmental level.

Those qualified for The d-Group (developmenTal swimmers) include:n Swimmers who did not qualify in any PSI National

Long & Short Course Championship and/or has not competed in any national level swim meets such as Palarong Pambansa, Milo National Championships, and Batang Pinoy Nationals, among others.

n Swimmers 11 years and over whose personal best times per event are slower than the cutoff time.

The Cherifer Little League Swimtastic Series will hold Meet 2 on July 14, 2013 in St. Paul, Pasig City Qualified swimmers are invited to join the event as tons of fun and amazing prizes await them.

for more informaTion, please visiT:www.swim.ph or www.facebook.com/swimphilippines

Fantastic swimtastic!cherifer partners with swim Philippines for

4 swIM PhILIPPInes

After months of training and conditioning, it all comes down to a few seconds of you giving your very best to come

out victorious. This could be an absolutely nerve-wracking situation, and it is not uncommon for athletes—even the elite ones—to let their nerves get the better of them, and psyche themselves out of winning. Fortunately, there are ways to calm your nerves down, so that you can focus on your game. When crunch time comes, try these moves to help you keep it together and get in the zone.

VisualizePicture yourself in the competition, executing your strokes perfectly. Create a mental picture of the exact way you want to perform. This creates a framework that your body can follow when it’s time for you to get in the water. See yourself at the ready bench. Imagine yourself at the starting block then let things unfold: dive, meet your target split time, make a proper turn, and touch the wall. Visualize perfection!

trust your traininGDo you remember those days when you thought your coach gave you a lot more load than you thought was humanly possible? Well, now is when all your hard work pays off. You have made the necessary preparations to get you competition-ready. You did your dry land, ate healthy food, and had enough rest, so trust that you are ready. You are in great shape coming into the competition. Believe that you can achieve your best time.

Winning tHe race before Hitting tHe Water

in traininG, eVeryone foCuses on 90% PhysiCal and 10% Mental. But in the raCe, it’s 90% Mental BeCause there’s Very little

that seParates us PhysiCally in the elite leVel.—elka GrahaM, olyMPiC s ilVer Medal ist

GOInG MenTALrelax your senses Anxiety has all sorts of physical manifestations. Finding it hard to breathe? Take deep, slow, and long breaths. Having shaky and clammy hands? That’s energy trying to escape your body. Shake them off and do some stretch drills. Anxiety will creep in when you overthink things. While waiting for your heat, try not to think about your opponents. Calm your senses by listening to soothing music, chatting with your teammates, and keeping in mind that, above all else, swimming should be fun.

‘‘

‘‘

[WHat tHeY saY]

“don’t think about the people you’re competing against. Just focus on what you have to do with your swim to improve, and of course, give it your 100 percent best. remember, what you’re doing is nothing compared to the load you do during training so the next couple of minutes should be easy.”—coacH tHea aLcantara, assUmption coLLege aces

“focus on what you can control like your

strokes, breathing, energy management, etc. ignore what you

can never control like spectators and the

performance of other swimmers.”

—coacH antHonY, nationaL coacH,

oLYmpic games atHens 2004

Just relax and talk to your

heat mates.—Jeric, 16,

ace seaWoLves

“especially for first time swimmers, what your coach wants to see is that

you gave it all you got and you executed what you were taught: the technique, the discipline of sticking to the plan, and that you always feel good about

competing and swimming in general.”—coacH JonatHan viLLagracia, Xavier scHooL aqUa staLLions

Breathe in, breathe out. shout! stretch. listen to good music. Pray.

—crYsteL

earphones on. Pressure off.

—robbY, 16, green arcHers

5

With the G-League Championships upon us, there are few topics as timely or as critical, as proper tapering for your race. Can an improper taper foil all your hard work? In a sport where sometimes tenths of a second can spell the difference between first and tenth place, yes it can.

Tapering works by boosting muscle glycogen stores, increasing aerobic enzymes, increasing blood volume, improving neuromuscular coordination, enhancing the repair of micro-tears sustained in muscle and connective tissue, and enhancing mental focus, after weeks of cyclical loading and stressing. Sounds heavy, but it’s really simple. Each time you get in the water for practice, for as long as you’re pushing yourself and testing your limits, your muscles are breaking down and rebuilding themselves to be stronger and go faster. Your body system for lactic acid production and the use of oxygen and glycogen adjust to become more efficient. When you taper, you give your body more time to recover and your system, which gets used to firing at a high level, stores all that extra energy and ability like an F-1 car revving at the start line.

here are soMe key thinGs to reMeMBer durinG a taPer:n Workout frequency doesn’t change, but the volume goes down and

the intensity goes up. n If you’ve done the work, trust in your training and follow your

coach’s taper plan. negative thoughts have no place in the taper period.

n Decrease your workout load gradually. For example, three weeks away from the competition, swim 90 percent of your usual daily volume, 2 weeks away take that to 75 percent, and on the week before the competition you should be down to 60 percent.

n Sleep early and eat well. This is a recovery period and if you sleep late, or put junk in your body – what’s the point?

TAPeR OFF! a sampLe taper WorkoUt reaLLY cLose to race daY migHt Look sometHing Like tHis:

getting readY for tHe competitionby beTSy KiuniSAlA-MedAllA

Warm UpDrill 1 400 easy swimming

Drill 2 4 X (3 X 50) on 1:00 1st 50 = 25 kick/25 drill

2nd 50 = all swim, easy

3rd 50 = 25 easy/25 build

subtotal 1,000

main Set

Drill 1 2 rounds of the following: (first round: freestyle; second round: another stroke)

2x25m on 40secs, long strokes1x50m at your 200m race pace2x25m on 40secs, long strokes1x50m at your 100m race pace2x25m on 40secs, long strokes1x50m at your 50m race pace2x25m on 40secs, long strokes2x25m aLL OUt SprintS

subtotal 800

COOL DOWnDrill 1 200 easy

subtotal 200

total 2,000

betsy k iunisala-medalla a .k .a swimJunk ie wr i tes JustaddWaterpH, a t r iathlon and open water swim blog. she graduated f rom the Univers i t y of the phil ippines and is a proud alumna of the phil ippine science High school and the phil ippine nat ional swim team. she is based in a labang, coaching several t r iathletes on swimming and producing swim stroke analys is v ideos by appointment .

wORk

IT Ou

T

the point is by this time, your pacing

skills should be tight. You should

know instinctively what your 200m

race pace is, 100m pace etc. rest

periods are long, with enough time to recover and to ensure that when

the coach says aLL oUt you are able to

go aLL oUt.

6

taying active has always been part of 15-year-old Courtney Melissa Tan Gray’s lifestyle. Growing up in the island paradise of Palawan, Courtney remembers being roused from sleep at the break of dawn by her father just so they could participate in a family fun run. Her father Kyle was a triathlete, you see, and often, they’d go jogging or biking around the island. At six, she took lessons in taekwondo and swimming.

It wasn’t until she was around nine years old, however, that Courtney actually dove into the water to compete. There was going to be a Swim Meet three weeks hence, and Courtney was invited by the father of one of her classmates to join the team. As luck would have it, their team would snag the bronze in the 4x50m free—and Courtney was hooked. She would join the Puerto Princesa Hammerhead Shark Swim Team, train every day, and by the time she turned 11, had made up her mind to get really good at what she was doing. Courtney says, “I started to have goals. I wanted to reach those goals.” The second time she joined the Swim Meet, she brought home seven gold medals, a feat that she did not actually expect to achieve. She would repeat the same stunning performance at the MIMARoPA games, the biggest gathering of young athletes from the Southern Tagalog Region. Courtney would again garner seven gold medals besting swimmers from Mindoro, Marinduque, Romblon, and Palawan. While the girl obviously had talent, Courtney knew that she needed more training. When she faced swimmers at the national level in the 2008 Palarong Pambansa, she felt a little outclassed. Because she placed eighth during the qualifying heat, nobody really expected her to win anything. But win she did; Courtney got a bronze for the 50m Free. The second time she joined Palaro, she got another bronze for 50m Fly. on her third try, she brought home a mother lode of medals: a gold, two silvers, and three bronzes. More importantly, she caught the eye of Coach Pinky Brosas of the Philippine Centre for Excellence in Aquatic Sports (PCEAS). It was PCEAS who developed swimmers Jasmine Alkhaldi and Jessie Lacuna; both represented the country in the 2012 london olympics. When Coach Pinky approached her, Courtney was a little

surprised. She was still out of breath after coming out of a heat. She says, “I had no idea what was going to happen. Nun pala, it was about recruiting me. Kasi after 50 Fly, tinawag niya ko. Hinihingal pa ko.” of course, Courtney was familiar with the swimmers of PCEAS. She says, “I looked up to the people in the PCEAS Team. Every time they’re in the competition, I’m just ‘Wow! Tingan ninyo sila. Ang galing-galing. Ang lakas-lakas tignan. Idol!’” Suffice it to say that she was excited at the thought of joining the team and training with Coach Pinky. But her mother Vivian needed a little convincing. After all, Courtney was only 12 years old at the time. If she were to join the team, she would have to live far away from home, at Trace College in Los Banos, Laguna. Eventually, Courtney’s love for swimming won—and the young lass was given the opportunity of a lifetime. For two years, Courtney lived in Trace College, training twice a day practically every day. She recalls, “The first year, it was really good, really fun because the school is there. The pool is there. You live there.” Apart from executing her drills, Courtney also had the chance to represent the country in swim meets abroad, in particular the SEA Age Group Swimming Championships. Thus far, she had competed in three, the ones held in Vietnam, Indonesia, and Brunei. True, she wasn’t able to bring home any medals during those meets, but being exposed to that level of competition only motivated Courtney to work harder. She wanted to know what made these athletes stronger, faster—and she wanted to perform just like them. Incredibly, while all this was going on, Courtney never lost sight of her academic goals. During the two years that she stayed in Trace College, she managed to be at the top of her class. She says, “I just studied hard, made an effort. Even if you’re really tired, if you want it, you’ll do something about it.” Today, Courtney studies at Saint Paul’s in Pasig while continuing her daily training at UlTRA. While her immediate goal is to qualify at the Youth olympic Games, her long-term goal is to gain admission to a good university. She says, “I want to graduate with good grades so I can get a good job. Puwede na ako mag-ipon. I would buy us a house… a house with a yard.” In the meantime, Courtney has her eye on the pool. She says, “I want to make my parents proud and offer everything to the Lord. I pray every day. Stay positive. Swim from the heart. You have to want it. You have to love the pain.”

6 swIM PhILIPPInes

The pride of Puerto Princesa, Courtney Melissa Tan Gray is persistently focused on performing her all out best!

B y J i n g L e J a n o • P h O T O G R A P h e D B y e R I k L I O n G O R e n

77

on coUrtneY:arena 1 piece suit - red

HIGH PERFORMANCE SWIMMING

sTAy In TOP FORM LoWer YoUr cHances of incUrring inJUrY WitH tHree HeLpfUL roUtines

by coach chappy callanta

injury prevention is a tricky subject that you’d have to master if you’d like to enjoy a long, fruitful career in swimming. Athletes are gifted individuals but they are notorious for overworking themselves to an early retirement. Although an athlete’s career generally has a short life span, there are practices and exercises that you can do to

prolong your stay in the water. Injury prevention does not always happen in the PT room; there are some things that you can do on your own that can help. one important factor that can help you steer clear of injuries is getting adequate rest. Rest, more specifically sleep, is one thing that athletes need to do. There

are a lot of documented cases where injuries occur when the athlete had limited sleep the night before the game or competition. Sleep is very important because it is the body’s way to recover and to regenerate. Aside from sleep, foam rolling or Myofascial Compression Techniques (MCT) help in both warming up and cooling down before a workout or training session. MCT helps warm you up by increasing tissue tolerance and pumping up oxygen-rich blood flow onto working muscles. Taking the limb through its proper range of motion will also increase joint mobility and flexibility. It can also help in cooling down by returning the muscles back to its original state, bringing back blood flow to start the process of recovery.

coach chappycallanta is the fitness program director of 360 fitness club. You may get in touch with him through his phone at 0917-7962173 ore-mail him at cscallanta@gmail.com or chappy@completethecircuit .com

1 2

Lat roLL: the lats also need to be rolled because of how active it is during training. the lats’ primary function is to pull something towards you or to pull you closer to that object. for swimmers, it is the big muscle that helps in the “pull.” it gets tight because of the activity, so rolling it will help to increase the shoulder’s range of motion and decrease the chances of injury.

making sUre tHat YoU perform mct before and after a WorkoUt session WiLL decrease tHe cHances of inJUries. Here are some of tHe procedUres tHat YoU can do:

caLf roLL: the calf and sole muscles need to be rolled every day because there is a lot of tension there. this area is where your body’s weight is being held when you’re standing up. swimmers also need to point their feet in the pool, which also increases tension in the muscle. repeat 15 times.

Upper back roLL: the upper back and shoulders experience a lot of stress during training. overuse issue on the shoulders is a common injury among swimmers. the upper back roll, which goes from below the shoulder blades towards the back of the shoulder, is integral for shoulder health. repeat 15 times.

IN DEPTH

9

Ronald Alejo M. Guiriba, 26manila streamliners swim club

>> how long have you been coaching? I am on my seventh year. >> how long have you been into swimming? I’ve been swimming since I was 5 years old. I swam for the Philippine national Age-Group Team from 1997 up to 2002, and represented the Philippine national Swim Team from 2003 until 2007 and the Philippine Water Polo Team from 2008 up to 2011. >> what made you decide to be a coach? My father, the late Professor Roni Guiriba, was my personal coach since I started swimming in 1992. He was my mentor, my idol, my confidant, and the one who made me realize that swimming is a life-long commitment.  what are you like as a coach? I am a goal-oriented coach. I always make sure that my goal is in line with that of my swimmer›s. I believe that every coach wants all the best for his athletes not only in swimming but also in life. >> what is your coaching philosophy? I live by the philosophy “What you know is what makes you grow” by Marc Francois. I believe that you can only be successful in something that you truly understand. >> what makes a good student/athlete? It is the one who knows how to balance schoolwork and swim training as well. But of course, student comes first always, athlete is second.  

featUred coacH:

Head coacH:  Ronald Alejo M. Guiriba

coacHing staff:  Kristine G. Guiriba nUmber of sWimmers: 31 Location: Pandacan, Manila

featUred team:

Name: Jbmond Emmanuel Ducos LimDate of birth: May 17, 2005school: Chiang Kai Shek team: Manila Streamliners Swim ClubCoaches: Ronald Alejo Guiriba and Kristine Guiriba

>> what are your favorite events and best times?100m Freestyle: 1:30.2650m Fly: 48.0250m Freestyle: 40.80

>> what is your greatest achievement? PCA Swim Meet Most outstanding Swimmer Boys 8 years and under, June 2013

>> what is your typical day like? School, tutor, and training

>> what are your future goals?To be a good, better, best swimmer

>> who do you look up to? Coach Lambert Guiriba

>> Describe yourself as a swimmer. I always follow the instruction of my coaches.

featUred sWimmer:

acHievements:  Having six Most Outstanding Swimmers for Class A and B, three for each in the 2013 PCA Swim meet

MAnILA sTReAMLIneRs swIM CLuB

Jbm

ond,

8

BE SEEN

10 swIM PhILIPPInes

Aquasphere Open water series

June 2, 2013Pico De Loro, hamilo Coast,

Batangas

yellowcab Triclark DIy series:

Open water swimmingJune 16, 2013

Camayan Beach, subic

BE SEEN

11

Alaska IronkidsMay 19, 2013

Ateneo De Manila Grade school Grounds, quezon City

POC-PsC national GamesRizal Memorial Complex,

Manila

Want to Be seen in sWiM kids? if you’re a swimmer 10 years and below, just email your answers to the above questions together with your photo to info@swim.ph

elijah Marc rivera

9 years old • Cagayan de Oro

team: Cagayan de oro Swim ClubFavorite events: 100m Freestyle and 100m BackstrokeFuture goal: To be a better swimmerhobbies: Reading science booksperson I look up to: Manny Pacquiaowhat I want to be when I grow up: Scientistwhat I love most about swimming: Having fun in the pool after practice

laureen faith Garcellano

8 years old • Laguna

team:  BlSS SRe1Favorite events: Breaststroke and ButterflyFuture goal: To be a professional swimmerhobbies: Swimming, singing, reading, playing gadgetsperson I look up to: My momwhat I want to be when I grow up: Still undecided, either chef, vet, swim coach, engineer, interior designerwhat I love most about swimming: It’s a great exercise for my lungs.

sean Pagsuguiron

9 years old • Las Pinas

team: Elizabeth Seton ParagonsFavorite events: 50m Freestyle, 100m IMFuture goal: Improve my times and be an olympianhobbies: Watching TVperson I look up to: Michael Phelpswhat I want to be when I grow up: Seamanwhat I love most about swimming: Meeting new people and being able to keep myself healthy

audrey sulit nodado

4 years old • Pampanga

team: Colegio de San Lorenzo Swim TeamFavorite events: 25m Breast and 25m FreestyleFuture goal: To be an olympic Swimmerhobby: Watching Youtubepersons I look up to: Ate Jasmine and Kuya Jessiewhat I want to be when I grow up: Lawyerwhat I love most about swimming: Collecting coins under the pool