BEING a rower isn’t for everyone.
To be part of the Philippine Rowing Association, for example, you need to stand at least 5’11 for males, and 5’6 if you’re a female. Practices are held three times a day.
But these grueling standards have produced champions.
Recalling her twin SEA Games victories, Melcah Caballero (who won gold in women’s lightweight single sculls and, together with Joanie Delgaco, women’s lightweight double sculls), said: “Yung sa amin, nung SEA Games, ganun din yung nangyari. Parang impossible to possible kasi yung sa gold. Tingin namin nung una talaga impossible… nung training iniisip namin na parang imposible talaga.”
She continued, “Doon na lang kami nag-focus sa goals namin. Tapos nagawa namin siyang possible.”

For his part, Cris Nievarez, who beat his Indonesian counterpart by half a second to score a gold in men’s lightweight single sculls, reflected on his takeaway from his big win.
“Kung mas pinaghuhusayan ng kung sino man yung may pangarap, kung pinaghuhusayan na nila ngayon, mas paghusayan pa para maabot yung mga talagang gusto nila,” he said as a message for all those reaching for seemingly unreachable goals.
To help support national athletes’ dreams to turn their impossibles into possibles, Toyota Motor Philippines (TMP) has been lending its support to the Philippine Olympic Committee. (Worldwide, the Japanese car company is also an official Olympic and Paralympic partner.) Last December, TMP donated a 29-seater coaster to the POC, providing much-needed mobility in the pursuit of their goals.
POC President Abraham “Bambol” Tolentino said, “This is a big help to Philippine sports, especially to our athletes, coaches and officials. It offers mobility, convenience and comfort especially when [commuting] is difficult. The POC will see to it that it benefits as many of our national teams as possible.”

It was this same coaster that the Philippine Rowing Association used to go to their Baguio team building last February.
Armed with their achievements in the SEA Games and the Asian Rowing Coastal Championships, the team is now working on bringing more attention to the sport by making it accessible and promoting it in schools and provinces all over the country.
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