WITH advances in women’s suffrage and the proliferation of women’s equality in the workplace, the academe, and practically all levels of society, referring to females as ‘the weaker sex’ today could get me crucified in some parts of the world, or worse, refused Wi-Fi access.
I’ve always held female athletes in high regard for reasons that are quite obvious. I can’t imagine having to deal with PMS, the curse, and outfit-of-the-day on a recurring basis; so when these feminine jocks take it to an even higher level by introducing motherhood into the mix, I just have to shut my mouth, hang my head in embarrassment, and sit quietly while listening to them describe what a pinprick a long-distance triathlon is compared to delivering a 7-lb. bundle of sweetness, after carrying her/him around for some nine months.
As my personal tribute to female triathlete moms everywhere, I decided to interview three incredibly accomplished women who swim, bike, run, nurture, manage, lead, and do virtually anything they set their minds to, pulling all of this off with ease and aplomb. Ladies and gentlemen, I give you, the Iron Moms.
Ani De Leon-Brown (Ani), 38, is a Philippine elite triathlete who has been into multi-sport for half her life. Ani started with ballet from age 6 to 10, moving on to gymnastics from 11 to 13, and to competitive swimming from 14 to 19. She tried triathlon at 19, joining mostly relays and sprints, but didn’t take the sport seriously until five years later, when she decided she ‘really liked this kind of stuff.’ Ani is a full-time triathlon coach, married to elite triathlete Dan Brown, and mother to an almost-two-year-old, mini-dynamo named Dash.
Laarni Anenias-Paredes (Laarni) is a 34-year old age-grouper whose athletic background began as a member of her high school swim varsity team. In her years at the University of the Philippines Los Banos (UPLB), Laarni got into the swim varsity team, then transitioned to the track team, specializing in middle distance (800-1,500 meters) events. After joining Milo run events (5k-21k distances) in the late 1990’s, she discovered that long-distance races brought out the best in her, allowing her to land among the top 10 finishers in the women’s category. Laarni works as a marketing associate for a US company, providing online teleconferencing for executives, and helps out in marketing efforts like PR materials and email campaigns. She is wife to consistent podium age-grouper Omar Paredes, and has adorable one year and eight-month-old Ana Leia to dote over and chase after in between all the training and work.
Rosalina Joson (Ting), 49, represents Philippine multi-sport both as a goodwill ambassador and country representative to the prestigious International Triathlon Union, roles she lives to the hilt while balancing these with her day job as senior officer for a company that services the financial industry. Ting ‘s sports background can be traced to stints in elementary school as a member of the basketball and swim teams in St. Scholastica’s Marikina. Yoga and Pilates became her addiction in middle age, before she discovered running and eventually triathlon. She is maternal mother to three (two boys, ages 20 and 14, and a girl, age 9) and surrogate mother (fondly called 'Mader' by team members and close friends) to Team PLDT-Bike King, whose members number close to 40.
When did you start Tri-ing and what got you started?
Ani: I was more of a spectator to my sister, Sinag, and our other friends from the UP swim team and UP mountaineers. I thought they were crazy! I agreed to do some relays in the beginning, and then the coach of the swim team registered me and a few teammates for an Olympic-distance race in Subic. This was back when the course was through the hilliest sections of Subic! I swam pretty well, then just got overtaken on the bike after 10 minutes (laughs). Then, it was mostly a miserable 10k walk. We didn’t know what we were doing, and I didn’t train properly for it; which is why it took so long for me to want to do it again.
Laarni: I’d always wanted to get into triathlon, ever since my college days. In UPLB, there’s a group called the Trantados, and I think they’re one of the pioneering tri-groups in the country. We used to train with them in the pool and when I got into track, I used to run with some of them. I just thought they were so cool. However, buying a bike was out of reach for me at the time, and I also didn’t know how to ride one (laughs).
Fast forward to 2007: I was getting sickly and fat from being sedentary and eating unhealthy, as I used to work 16-hours days. And since I was just working from home, I could work all day and all night with no need to commute or dress up. I would work in my pajamas and only leave my workspace to eat. I had overworked myself, and that year, I made the decision to get healthy and active again. I enrolled at a nearby Fitness First (FF) and got addicted to their indoor cycling classes called RPM, even joining RPM marathons and surprisingly winning. There was a grand final among RPM winners from different clubs, and there was an outdoor duathlon event. To prepare for it, I had to learn how to bike, which was really funny since I was already 28 years old.
Soon after I learned how to ride in a straight line, I thought: Wait, I can swim and run. Now I can bike. Hmm, so can I tri? So I did a little research, and found Ani on a cycling network online. As luck would have it, I met Ani personally during an RPM class, and she invited me to join the FF team. I was with the FF team when I joined my first official race, the White Rock Triathlon in 2007. This was just two months after I learned to ride a bike! After that first race, I knew this was my sport. And now, I’m here to stay.
Ting: I was so into yoga and Pilates, but I felt I wasn’t getting enough cardiovascular benefits; so I started running. My first 5k was 48 minutes. I was still smoking a pack a day then. I knew I had to stop if I wanted my time to improve. On my way home from the race, I tossed my pack of cigarettes into the Marikina River. That was the last I saw of cigarettes.
I became competitive with myself and wanted to keep improving my time, so I kept racing 5k’s every weekend until I got injured. The doctor recommended I hop on a bike for recovery and for sustained exercise. I borrowed a bike and discovered the joys of pedaling. I joined the Animo Tri in Alabang in 2008, and have not stopped training and racing since.
What drives you? What pumps you up?
Ani: I find that this changes at different points in may life. Before, I was just like, 'I’m the best, and I’m gonna win, period!' (Laughs). But then, reality sets in and you realize you can’t afford to fund yourself by just racing and training. So it was kind of a struggle in the early days. I would work as an interior designer and graphic artist a bit, train a bit, and earn enough to send myself to training camps in Australia with very little money. My bike even got stolen at one point, and I was using the BMX bike of my homestay to travel 22km back and forth to the pool where I trained. It was crazy, but my friends helped me a lot. I gave up designing altogether in favor of triathlon. During that period in my life, I gained some and lost some, but I toughened up for sure.
Then there was the time I had to quit temporarily and just regroup, because I just burned out mentally and physically. It took me a year and a half to realize I still wanted to do this. It was then that I made the decision to go long-course. After that, all I wanted to do was qualify for Kona, which I did.
The climate is so different now, and I am lucky to have actual paid work based on what I do and enjoy. I just cannot see myself doing anything else, even though I may not be so aggressively competitive anymore. I love racing, and I love my triathlon friends. I feel blessed to have this lifestyle, and that is what keeps me going: the thought that I am one of the few lucky people in the world who has the opportunity to influence others positively because of sport, even if it’s just within my own little sphere. I think that that in itself is amazing, and I can’t quite believe it myself sometimes (smiles).
Laarni: I know it’s cliché, but I’ve always been driven by a constant need for self-improvement. I always think that there’s a way to get faster, fitter, and recently, to get back to being fit after my pregnancy.
Ting: What used to drive me was the need to keep improving my time. Now I have tempered that, and I just want to stay fit and healthy. I still have a nine-year old, after all.
Part 2 of Iron Moms delves into the challenges of the sport, balancing their own version of triathlon (sport, motherhood, work), sources of inspiration, and how long before they decide to call it a day.
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