Brought together by a common passion for endurance sports, the team behind La Salle Multisports looks to create a community of healthy and active Lasallians. In order to achieve their dream, the founders of the organization—Benette Rivera (BS-AEC, ‘17), Andres Mayol (II, MEP-ME), Vince Ang (V, MKT), and Gio Diamante (MSMKTG, ‘17)—have partnered with the DLSU Alumni Association to establish the University’s newest sports organization.
La Salle Multisports is an organization focused on endurance sports such as triathlons and obstacle course races (OCR). These types of sports are composed of multiple events that have been strung together to create grueling races designed to test a multitude of physical attributes as well as participants’ mental fortitude. Triathlons, for example, challenge racers to a long-distance swim, bike, and run, before they can cross the finish line. Only the most determined individuals can accomplish such races, and La Salle Multisports aims to foster a community of individuals who want to enter into a sport that would allow them to maintain a healthy lifestyle despite the stress of academic requirements.
Pushing limits
The desire to be healthy and fit has never been as apparent; more and more people are placing a large premium on being more active, seen in the rise in popularity of fitness studios and several influencers promoting such a lifestyle. The problem is that, for many individuals, exorbitant gym fees and expensive supplements stand in the way of achieving this.
This is why La Salle Multisports’ main advocacy is to provide an avenue where people can exercise and be healthy without having to pay a fortune. Mayol highlights this, saying, “Being healthy [can be] really expensive, but being healthy does not have to just be about paying lots of money. It can be about being in a community where you can have fun.”
La Salle Multisports emerges as an organization that can provide an avenue for the Lasallian community to push themselves further in their pursuit for health and happiness. The group organizes regular training sessions in the University’s surrounding vicinity. From fun runs around the Cultural Center of the Philippines complex to swimming sessions in the Enrique Razon Swimming Pool, the organization promises to help individuals achieve the lifestyle they desire while creating a support group that they can lean on, despite these sports being individual events.
Open to all
The founders of La Salle Multisports assure the community that the organization will be kept accessible to anyone who wants to take part, as the only prerequisite is the desire to workout and enjoy the company of an amazing group of athletes and people active in the lifestyle. Moreover, in line with their advocacies, only minimal inexpensive gear would be needed to partake in the workout sessions.
The organization is open to both competitive and casual racers. “If you want to start the sport, you can join the team; if you want to do your first Spartan Race or your first triathlon, you can join the team,” affirms Rivera. In addition, students, faculty, and alumni from other La Salle schools are also encouraged to join. This setup means that La Salle Multisports is open to all; both experienced athletes and beginners—or, as Mayol describes, “anyone who wants to have fun”—are welcome to join.
Chasing greater heights
Openness and accessibility go hand in hand as the organization’s two main advocacies. Aside from welcoming individuals to participate in open training sessions, what sets the organization apart from other sports teams in the University is their heart for community engagement. “We plan to create our own events inside La Salle. Hindi lang kami basta races, we’re also into socio-civic [activities], isa siya sa long term goal ng team,” exclaims Rivera. The team is aware of the fact that there are many aspiring athletes who have their passions hampered by a lack of resources. Therefore, to jumpstart their socio-civic initiative, the team is planning to help out some athletes in Baguio by providing them with sports apparel.
(We plan to create our own events inside La Salle. We’re not just about races, we’re also into socio-civic [activities], it’s one of the long term goals of the team.)
Engaging individuals who aspire to be athletes in sports is one thing, igniting a spark is another. Starting a community is part of their long term goal, but the team hopes to achieve something bigger in the future. Mayol suggests, “What if this multisport team will ignite a spark [for] triathlons or OCR [to be part of] the UAAP? We’ll never know, it’s just a vision.”
The ultimate dreams of the organization reach beyond the University. Mayol shares, “I think what I envision for this team [is sustainability]. We have younger generations that will probably take this team [to] another level.” He is also hopeful that another Lasallian triathlete like Nikko Huelgas may someday emerge from the organization to not only represent the Green-and-White, but someday, even the Philippines. He concludes by saying, “This will be a venue, a community to see what a Lasallian athlete can do.”
In the end, Rivera reaffirms, “It’s about yourself and pushing yourself to the limit.” La Salle Multisports is as good an organization as any for anyone looking to be part of a community that will keep people going until they reach their respective goals—whether it be sports-related or not.
