WEIGHTLIFTER Vanessa Sarno truly deserves a badge of courage for her terrific heroics in the recent Asian Junior and Youth Weightlifting Championships in New Delhi, India.
With just a day’s training after a still undetermined virus kept her in the intensive care unit of a hospital a day after they arrived for the meet, Sarno dug deep and showcased her superior mental and physical strength, sweeping all three gold medals in the women’s 71kg juniors division last Aug. 2.
Being primed as major medal contender for the 2024 Paris Olympics, the bull-strong Boholana handily ruled her weight class, lifting 95 kilograms in the snatch and 121 kilos in the clean-and-jerk for a total lift of 216 kilos.
She easily beat Thailand’s Phattaratida Wongsing, who played second fiddle after hoisting 92, 120 and 212 kilos in the snatch, clean-and-jerk and total lifts, respectively.
“From ICU to podium. Willing to die for. Grabe,” weightlifting chief Monico Puentevella said in admiration.
Sarno was at a loss at how she got infected with fever a day after the Philippine team arrived in the bustling Indian capital, her body temperature rising to 39.4-degree Celsius that sent her to the ICU.
“Nag-antigen test naman po ako at negative naman. Gusto pa nga po ng mga doktor mag-stay ako ng ilang araw pero sabi ko ayaw ko na,” Sarno said after the national team arrived and paid a courtesy call on Philippine Sports Commission chairman Richard Bachmann last week.
Sarno said that as a precaution, her coaches did not allow her to train for four straight days, adding it was only until the eve of her actual competition that she finally lifted weights.
Despite the possible health risks, she was determined to compete in her weight class, confessing that “kung ano ‘yung sinasabi ng isip mo sumusunod ‘yung katawan ko. Mind over matter.”
Sarno shrugged off her fears and once again showed the true heart of a champion in the Asian meet.
Puentevella said Sarno’s triumph was a fitting climax to the successful campaign of the lifters who garnered 19 gold medals, with 10 of 11 of them returning home with at least one medal.
Rosejean Ramos also bagged three gold medals in the 49kg division of the junior competition.
“We now have our core of young lifters who we hope will succeed and follow in the footsteps of our Tokyo Olympic gold medalist Hidylin Diaz,” Puentevella said. “Onward to LA Olympics 2028!”
