Pain and glory

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Experienced athletes know that perseverance means a winning attitude and sometimes even a medal.

HOURS TO MINUTES. Athletes prepare to show what hours of training can prove in minutes. Photo by Devon Wong

Athletes learn getting up from a fall is just as important as winning, and perseverance pays off both on and off the field.

Devon Wong reports.


For all the hours athletes train for their sports these final moments are bittersweet. The preparations and hard work of strict athletic discipline ends within minutes. One race determines everything and seconds can mean the difference between pain and glory.

For Marilyn Avila, this is her last shot before she graduates. She’s a veteran at Palaro with 3 games under her belt. But she’s never won a single medal for an individual event.

MARYLYN AVILA, TRACK ATHLETE FROM NCR: Winning is not everything in running. Losing is just as important because it helps make us stronger.

Marilyn’s outlook is positive.  But this Palaro hasn’t been kind to this young athlete. Marilyn had a tough first run earlier in the competition when she tripped during her 100m hurdles. She picked herself up to finish the race but was knocked over again by another athlete.

I felt bad because I trained so long and hard and it had to end that way.

Marilyn goes into her last day of competition with wisdom from years of relentless training

There are only three medals awarded at each event.  Divided by the hours that each athlete puts into training for Palaro, the odds are slim.  But these games aren’t just a test of athletics for these young athletes, it’s a test of attitude.

Perseverance wins both on and off the field and all athletes at Palaro gain skills that take them beyond the arena.

After the accident yesterday, when I fell over I was able to prove to myself that I can do it. I can be at par with everyone else.

The medals may be the glory.  But the pain builds character.

Devon Wong, Rappler, Dumaguete

For more stories on Palarong Pambansa, visit Rappler’s Palarong Pambansa 2013 microsite.

– Rappler.com

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