RP SEA Games swim team gives back

Filipino-American swimmers who represented the country in the recently concluded Laos Southeast Asian Games (SEAG) took some of time off to give back something to the community. Double gold medal winner Miguel Molina led the national tankers who conducted free swim clinics in different parts of the country.

Joining Molina were Ryan Arabejo and Daniel Coakley who broke SEAG records in winning the gold medals in the 1,500m and 50m freestyle events. The program, handled by the Philippine Amateur Swimming Association (PASA) and dubbed as “Swim with Mig winning spirit clinics", was held in Manila, Makati, Quezon City, Cebu City, General Santos City and Davao City. “Swimmers in different parts of the country have been able to not just rub elbows with the likes of Filipino champs but they have come up to hear them share important training goal setting and racing tips from our Olympians," said PASA president Mark Joseph. The country’s ace swimmers readily made themselves available since they also want to give something back to the Filipino people who have been very supportive in their campaign. “All our swimmers are on their way back to their foreign training centers now but are leaving with a sense of having given back to Philippine swimming a wonderful irony considering they have given so much for the country as competitors," added Joseph. Clinics handled by the top swimmers will not be just a one shot deal as PASA will also hold same activity next year with the month of January set at Tacloban City. JB Walsh, who will be retiring to study medicine in the US, will be handling the series of clinics which will also be supported by the provincial government of Leyte. “The clinics go hand in hand with the decision of Leyte government to make swimming a priority sport. The brand new Olympic pool used in the last Palarong Pambansa (National Games) will be the venue," added Joseph. With the program, PASA hopes to widen the country’s grassroots base which will be used for the search of new pool talents for the national team. “We salute our swimmers for their sense of patriotism and bayanihan spirit. This is what swimming is all about, not just better swimmer but better people," added the PASA head. – GMANews.TV