Gameplan Profiles: Ariana Dormitorio, cross-country mountain biker

Nikki Pua

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Gameplan Profiles: Ariana Dormitorio, cross-country mountain biker
The 18 year-old is a pro in the trails, having bagged awards from mountain biking competitions here and abroad

MANILA, Philippines – “When I ride my bike, grabe yung feeling, like you feel so high, the adrenaline is too much especially when you ride in the trails.”

18 year-old Ariana Dormitorio started mountain biking as a hobby when she was 11 years old. Seven years later, she already bagged 70 gold medals and trophies. 

Ariana put off going to college to focus on her training. She trains four to six hours a day, five to six times a week. Recently, she won the gold at the ASEAN Mountain Bike Cup Leg 2 in Indonesia. 

 

“Our ultimate dream is the 2020 Japan Olympics,” she says. “So it’s five years from now, and even though na medyo matagal pa siya, everything na we’re doing as early as today is geared towards that.”

Cross-country mountain bike racing is popularly dominated by male athletes, which makes it more challenging for her. “Well the sport itself is already difficult because it’s an extreme sport, and it’s a male sport, di ‘ba? Pero when you love what you’re doing kasi you won’t feel difficult in doing it because you’re really passionate about it,” she says.

Ariana says she has always been very competitive, but wants to inspire other women to overcome their fears and pursue any sport of their choice.

“I want to influence women in a way that they shouldn’t be afraid of trying out difficult things,” she says. “They shouldn’t be afraid of difficult things. They should overcome their fears.” – Rappler.com

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