Cebuana Raven Faith Alcoseba is ready for Southeast Asian Games stint

By: Glendale Rosal - 2 years ago

Raven Faith Alcoseba. | Photo from TRAP

CEBU CITY, Philippines—Multi-titled Cebuana triathlete Raven Faith Alcoseba feels a lot better heading into the 32nd Southeast Asian Games (SEAG) in Pnom Penh, Cambodia.

The 19-year-old bronze medalist in last year’s 31st SEA Games in Hanoi, Vietnam underwent laparoscopic appendectomy earlier this year.

Although it wasn’t an open surgery, Alcoseba was sidelined for several weeks, affecting her training and preparation for SEA Games.

However, she proved that she’s ready for the biennial games as she finished the second fastest Filipina in the recent Subic International Triathlon.

“I’m really grateful that I am able to be do triathlon again and I went into this race to see where I’m at,” said Alcoseba of Talisay City.

Despite the tough competition, Alcoseba finished 33rd among 50 other female elite triathletes from New Zealand, Ireland, Korea, Japan, Hong Kong, Macau, Australia, and China.

She finished the Olympic-standard race in one hour, three minutes and 24 seconds, behind the fastest Filipina finisher in SEA Games, multiple gold medalist Kim Mangrobang, who finished 24th.

“I would say that after SUBIT, I am much more confident to race in SEA games but I still have to work on a lot of things,” she added.

“I believe that the surgery I went through really had a big impact in terms of my progress. However, I am really grateful that it happened last month and it gave me time to fully recover before heading back to training.”

Alcoseba joins fellow Cebuano and SEA Games silver medalist Andrew Kim Remolino along with another Cebuano and SEA Games debutee Matthew Justine Hermosa in the Philippine Team.

Alcoseba, Remolino, and Hermosa already left the country to join the rest of the Philippine Team for the SEA Games. The triathlon race is scheduled on May 26.

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