Contrary to what is shown on TV or posted in social media, the success athletes experience doesn’t happen overnight. Each time they win a title or take their games to a new level is a product of the work they put in when they head to the gym, study film, and more importantly, make sacrifices when it comes to their personal lives.
Former Green Tanker Nikko Bryan Huelgas’ journey from budding athlete to 2015 SEA Games gold medalist was a dream he took nearly a decade to fulfill because of the amount of work needed to achieve such a feat.
Clocking in a time of 2:04:32 in the 28th SEA Games in Singapore, Huelgas bested his Malaysian counterpart Rikigoro Shinozuka to clinch first place by more than a minute, adding to what was at that time the third Philippine medal after Marie Claire Adorna and Kim Mangrobang won gold and silver, respectively, in the Women’s Triathlon event.
Grueling as it is, winning a triathlon race requires more than just being in peak physical condition. Having the mental toughness to overcome adversity and push past the pain and the fatigue is crucial as well in overcoming the 1.5-kilometer swim, 40-kilometer bike, and 10-kilometer run that make up a standard Olympic triathlon.
Of all the race formats, the most grueling one is the “Iron Man” format, with its 3.8-kilometer swim, 180.2-kilometer bike, and 42.2-kilometer run still falling short as compared to the distances Huelgas trains with for competitions. His training regimen, coupled with the obstacles he himself overcame, helped him remain resilient in what was a tough start to his SEA Games campaign, one that ended with a gold medal on his neck.
Falling to the middle of the pack in the swimming and bike events, the encouragement he got from teammate Jonard Saim pushed him to overcome what would have been a huge setback for any other person. But thanks to his training and his experience from clinching back-to-back national triathlon titles in 2011 and 2012 and being the national record holder for Olympic Distance, he willed himself to victory with a sizable margin over his closest opponent.
More than showing the capabilities of athletes when it comes to being in tip-top shape, what Huelgas and perhaps every other triathlete prove is that the human spirit is capable of overcoming any impediment by having the right mindset, staying hungry, and always looking ahead towards one’s goal no matter how daunting it might seem to be.
