UNLIKE most athletes competing in the ongoing Philippine National Games (PNG), University of Cebu (UC) swimmer Karen Mae Indaya isn’t primarily aiming for a slot in the national team or the national training pool.
The 17-year-old’s goal is to perform her civic duty and bring honor to Cebu City.
“I agreed to compete because my coach (Rolando Alvarez) needed a swimmer to represent and bring honor to Cebu City,” said the multi-titled tanker.
And Indaya did just that.
She won three gold medals, two silvers and one bronze in her first PNG meet.
“It’s an honor to represent Cebu City,” she said.
She bagged a gold in the 200-meter backstroke event and the other two were from with her teammates in the 4×100 medley relay and 4×50 medley relay teams.
Indaya said a spot in the national team is just secondary for her because she knows how tough it is to join the pool.
The incoming Grade 12 student added that another reason why she joined the weeklong meet is because it is a basis to measure how fast her times are.
Also, Indaya is not wasting opportunities to compete that go her way because she’ll be turning 18 in September and there’s a lesser number of competitions for the 18 and above swimmers. Unlike when she’s 18 below, she can join the city, regional and national meets, among others.
Indaya is a nine-year veteran of the Central Visayas Regional Athletic Association meet and the Palarong Pambansa as she has been competing in these events since she was in third grade.
She said that she was expecting to clinch medals in her events in the PNG as she has been training for it for two months.
“I am proud and happy because all my training and hard work paid off,” said Indaya adding that she dedicates her winnings to “first of all to God, then family.”
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