SOMETIME in 2015, Aira Lopez went all in on multisport. She started off by joining local duathlon and triathlon competitions around the country, and, along the way, won a few medals.
Her favorite part of the three-sport act? Cycling.
In January 2020, two months before the lockdowns, Lopez, who was then a flight attendant, started her YouTube channel posting vlogs about cycling and her work.
It quickly rose to fame, especially after a viral "Introduce Yourself" video that became a sensation in the early part of the pandemic era. Her YouTube channel now stands at over 531,000 subscribers, and has opened her doors for opportunities, as the cycling community continued to evolve.
Her personal branding landed her a lot of wins, and among them, she considers this most recent as a special one.
The 23-year-old announced she's hosting an action-packed show in CNN, which will begin airing next year.
Aira Lopez gets the call to become a TV host
"I just received a random call from a well-known casting director, nagulat ako at first. They were looking for a girl who can be partnered with Kyle [Maceda, her co-host]. They just discovered me online, through my vlogs, and napili ako," she told SPIN Life.
Her on-cam experience doesn't just come from her recent career shift into vlogging. She also took up a communication course in hopes of landing a job in sports reporting.
"I remember before, I was dreaming to be a courtside reporter in the PBA, and to work in the field of sports, but now, God gave me a better opportunity, to host a show, and about cycling pa, the sport na pinaka-passion and love ko," she said.
Now, Aira looks into going deep into the field, and is excited to give her followers some new form of entertainment apart from her usual vlogs.
"We're already in the process of shooting for episodes. Isasama namin kayo sa mga travels namin all over the country, lalabas tayo ng Luzon! Sabay-sabay nating alamin pa ang saya ng world of cycling," she added.
Cycling Unlimited is scheduled to start airing on March 2022.
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