FOUR Filipino crossfit athletes will test mettle of the Under Armour’s Asia-wide challenge Test of Will finals on May 28 at Gardens by the Bay in Singapore.
The four crossfitters, two males and two females, were chosen over the hundreds of hopefuls in the UnderArmour Test of Will Manila leg on April 16 and 17 in Bonifacio High Street in Taguig City.
All eyes will be on Noelle Wenceslao, who bested 301 hopefuls in the recently concluded Manila leg, setting a total of 243 repetitions in the women’s division.
“This is my first experience competing outside the country, apart from dragon boat, so I’m hoping to take the dragon-boat confidence with me kasi kapag something I learned from climbing mountaining no matter what the odds are,” Wenceslao said on Tuesday during the Philippine Sportswriters Association (PSA) Forum on at Shakey’s Malate.
“So I’m going to put my whole heart and I will bring in all the hard work and, hopefully, get whatever that deserves,” Wenceslao, who was a member of the Philippine Everest Expedition.
Zoe Pond-McPherson, who campaigned in the 2015 Crossfit Games Pacific Regional in Wollongong, Australia, will be the other Filipina participant after placing second with 213 repetitions.
Derrick Carlo Mercado and Merwin Torres were the two male participants in the Philippine team. Mercado topped the men’s bracket in the Manila Leg with 164 reps, while Torres placed second with 151 reps .
“I just want to enjoy and I want to do my best and, of course, with the help coming in from Under Armour, I’m training more than I usually do,” said Mercado, who is also an architect.
Christine Majadillas, managing director of One of A Kind Marketing, said they will give full support to the four athletes even after the tourney.
“It’s not really only about a one-time, event but this is a journey for them. A journey, in such a way, that we are helping them all throughout from Day One up to the Southeast Asia and after that,” she said
The delegation flies to Singapore on May 27. The country will face Thailand, Malaysia, and Singapore in the finals.
Also, Under Armour launched its newest brand ambassador in Philippine Basketball Association (PBA) veteran center Asi Taulava in the forum.
“It’s an honor to be with Under Armour,” Taulava said. “I’m happy to be with their product I’m looking forward for more years with them. I’m also happy with the outreach program for grassroots, it’s time for me to give back and share my knowledge in basketball.”
“We’re glad we have him. Asi will be helping us all throughout in terms of grassroots for basketball and that’s for Under Armour Philippines,” Majadil,las added as the 43-year-old PBA star will led the upcoming basketball grassroots programs in the country.
Image credits: Roy Domingo