A 17-year-old athlete from Carles town in the Province of Iloilo is the first to clinch a gold medal for Western Visayas in the ongoing Palarong Pambansa 2024 in Cebu City. 

Sam Kenjie Bantillo, an incoming Grade-12 student at the Don Casimero Andrada National High School said that it is his uncle who inspired him to pursue long jump.

As soon as he was declared the winner, Bantillo ran toward one of his coaches, Reymund Steil de los Reyes, the uncle who inspired him, and hugged him tightly. 

Bantillo said that getting to the national competition is also a long jump for him. It was a long jump from point A to point B; he made sure that all the struggles and setbacks at point A would not dampen his spirit to leap to point B where the gleam of determination matches the glint of gold. 

He has to sacrifice his time with family and friends to ensure that he goes home with the highly coveted gold medal. 

He is thankful that his family and friends understand deeply his goals, and that his sacrifices have paid off.