TAKING her role as local swimming’s goodwill ambassadress seriously, Filipino-Canadian tanker Kayla Sanchez inspired participants with a surprise visit in the Mindanao leg of the PSI Long Course qualifying series over the weekend at the Davao del Sur Coliseum pool in Digos City.
“This is what Kayla is all about. She is not only a very talented swimmer but she also wants to inspire others so (she) paid a visit to our Mindanao leg so she can interact with our swimmers at the grassroots,” noted Philippine Swimming Inc. president Lani Velasco.
Velasco, who also attended the competition, witnessed first-hand how Sanchez, a Tokyo Olympic Games silver medalist for Canada who announced her choice to compete for the country last July, was able to charm and motivate the over 100 entries who took part in the three-day event.
“Such a wonderful and blessed day for Mindanao swimming! Our swimmers from the south get to meet the two-time Olympic medalist, Ate Kayla, and ask her about her swim stuff,” PSI board member Antoinette Adle Mendoza, who was also present during the swimmer’s visit, said on her Facebook page.
“What an adorable, beautiful person she is. Truly worthy of emulation,” Mendoza noted.
Among those who performed well during the meet were former Batang Pinoy National Games standouts and siblings Lorah Micah and Liaa Marga Amoguis and Ivo Nikolai Enot, who are members of the Davao-based Holiday Gym Swim Club.
Lora Micah posted wins in the girls 16-18-years-old 100-meter backstroke and 200-meter individual medley events in 1:10.76 and 2:34.39, respectively, while younger sister Liaa Marga was tops in the 14-15-year-old girls 100-meter breaststroke (1:21.57) and 200-meter IM (2:36.39).
Enot, who won three golds in the 2019 Arafura Games in Darwin, Australia, posted wins in the boys 16-18 50-meter freestyle (26.05) and 200-meter backstroke events (2:18.97).
