(from left to right) Runner Alex silverio, cyclist Godfrey Taberna, and swimmer Jomar Alam (Sharon Mae S. de los Santos/davaotoday.com)
DAVAO CITY, Philippines – Amputee triathletes teamed up in a relay race for this year’s Ironman 70.3 here on Sunday, inspiring other persons with disabilities to achieve more and succeed in sports.
Team’s cyclist Godfrey Taberna told media here, “We are here so that we can motivate other persons with disabilities to unleash their potentials. You only have to train hard so that you will learn and develop.”
Taberna suffers from club foot on his right foot, but it did not prevent him from joining the cycling race.
On the other hand, Jomar Alam, a swimmer who is an amputee, said he dreamed of competing abroad.
“We just want to finish the race. We just want to cross the finish line. Don’t ever give up. You won’t reach your goals when you give up easily,” Alam said.
Alam had been swimming since he was still 3 years old and had always participated in swimming competitions like the Cobra Ironman event in Cebu in 2017.
Taberna had already won bronze and silver medals at the ASEAN Para Games in Malaysia last year.
Alex Silverio, who lost his left arm to an accident, said he decided to become a runner and went on to bag the first place in in last year’s Ironman 70.3 Cebu.
The Trio’s effort to undergo rigorous daily training paid off as they finished strong at 13th place in the relay out of 175 racers during the Ironman 70.3 Davao, with a finished time of 5 hours, 32 minutes, and 26 seconds. (davaotoday.com)
