Fast rising Cebuana triathlete Aaliyah Ricci Mataragnon made Cebu proud by placing third in her first-ever international triathlon competition in Singapore.
The 12 year-old Mataragnon scored the feat in the 12-13 category of the recent New Moon Khcycle Metasprint Series Singapore 2013 held at the Changi Beach Park in Singapore.
Mataragnon, a member of the Philippine youth developmental pool, finished the 250-meter swim, 10-kilometer bike and 2.5km run in 41 minutes and 56 seconds.
She was the only Filipino entry in the youth categories.
“I’m so elated that I won because I’m representing not only Cebu but also the Philippines. And it made me more proud of being a Filipino,” Mataragnon said.
The incoming grade 8 student of the Sacred Heart School-Hijas de Jesus had been racing for one and a half years since she took up triathlon at 11, consistently topping her category since winning last year’s Talisay 1st Triathlon.
Mataragnon was accompanied by her parents to Singapore for her first international race following the advice given by Millette Chiongbian, whose son Justin is eyeing to represent the country in next year’s Youth Olympic Games in China.
“Millette told us to let her try international races so she will know the difference with the local races,” Mataragnon’s father—Ritchie said.
Her father said that he did not expect his daughter to finish in the top 3 because she had diligently followed the race rules by waiting for the go signal in the swim section while the other foreign participants had hit the water ahead.
As a result, Mataragnon was sandwiched among bigger and taller participants and couldn’t pull ahead, finishing the swim leg in 17th place but gained on her opponents during the bike section wherein she finished sixth. She then gave her all in the run leg to bag the bronze.
Mataragnon trains under Tito Bonilla and Ronald Manlosa for swimming and topnotch runner turned triathlete Philip Duenas for her running. She bikes with her dad.
As a reward for each win, Mataragnon gets a book. Her dad said this is what she had asked for.
Her father said he did not expect his daughter to excel in sports because she was born with club foot, which was later corrected with rehabilitation.
A day after returning from Singapore, Mataragnon left for Subic for the training camp in preparation for the Philippine National Games next month.