It has been two months since I read about a very inspiring news of humble bikers winning a mountain biking competition against all odds. I desperately searched for the news in a pile of old newspapers and couldn't find it in repeated attempts. By some luck, I accidentally got hold of the news when I was about to dispose of the old piles a few days ago. In the page was written in bold print " Lowly bike to victory " , of the SunStar daily publication on March 16, 2008.
To summarize, the team of Merlita Arias, Jappy Lumongsod and Ricky Gonzaga won first place in the Mt. Manunggal 2008 Adventure race against discouraging words from spectators and other contestants. They were said to have second-rate mountain bikes and reportedly practiced only a few times in similar tracks before the event. Worst, one of the team member, Arias, suffered a busted brake during the competition so that she had to drag her bike along the final downhill control point which also turned out to be her weakness. The team's determination, however, overcame the obstacles and disproved everybody's perception. They went on to win the race.
I found the news a very encouraging event for fellow bikers who may also be in the same position as the team - owning the cheap, lowly bike. It tries to emphasize the fact that it is in the heart of an individual that earns him a rightful name as a biker/cyclist and not what he has. In competition or not, what's important is to be able to do the things we love to do regardless of the class of equipment available. A good rated equipment is ,of course, the best thing a hobbyist can have but limited with resources, that comes only next to be able to do what you love doing, in this case the love to bike around. In a sense, it is what having the heart of a winner means.
To summarize, the team of Merlita Arias, Jappy Lumongsod and Ricky Gonzaga won first place in the Mt. Manunggal 2008 Adventure race against discouraging words from spectators and other contestants. They were said to have second-rate mountain bikes and reportedly practiced only a few times in similar tracks before the event. Worst, one of the team member, Arias, suffered a busted brake during the competition so that she had to drag her bike along the final downhill control point which also turned out to be her weakness. The team's determination, however, overcame the obstacles and disproved everybody's perception. They went on to win the race.
I found the news a very encouraging event for fellow bikers who may also be in the same position as the team - owning the cheap, lowly bike. It tries to emphasize the fact that it is in the heart of an individual that earns him a rightful name as a biker/cyclist and not what he has. In competition or not, what's important is to be able to do the things we love to do regardless of the class of equipment available. A good rated equipment is ,of course, the best thing a hobbyist can have but limited with resources, that comes only next to be able to do what you love doing, in this case the love to bike around. In a sense, it is what having the heart of a winner means.
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