Adrianna Erika Ching, 8 years old, is the overall champion in Bo’s Talisay Swimming Challenge held on October 12. | Contributed photo
LAPU-LAPU CITY, Philippines —After bagging four gold medals and recognized as the overall champion of Bo’s Talisay Swimming Challenge in Talisay City recently, 8-year-old Adrianna Erika Ching has set her eyes in another swimming competition in November — Philippine Aquatic competition.
This as her father Eric Cheng said that they were already deep in preparations for that competition to be held on November 9 and 10.
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And they hope that Adriana can do well in the coming swimming competion as Eric looked back at the Talisay swimming event last October 12 where his 8-year-old daughter dominated.
Eric said that Adrianna did this despite only receiving formal training in swimming in less than a year.
He was referring to Adrianna only enrolling in a summer workshop/training in May this year.
Adrianna was from Barangay Mabolo, Cebu City, and she was the youngest of four siblings. Her father was also a former varsity player in basketball at the University of San Jose Recoletos.
“Pero nakita nako ang iyang potential sa swimming kay every time maligo mi og swimming pool dili man moundang, sir. Mura ma’g isda ning bataa,” Eric said.
(But I saw her potential in swimming because every time we spend time in a swimming pool, she would not stop swimming. It seems that this child is like a fish.)
He said that while her daughter was having a swimming workshop, the coach of the swimming team at the University of San Carlos, Christopher Suerte, noticed her potential and eventually invited her to join the school’s swimming team.
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“Ang iyang average gud sir, kung imong i-imagine, ang iyang 25 meters mokuha gud siya ug 18 seconds. Sa 50 meters mokuha gud siya ug 42 seconds,” he added.
(Imagine her average, for the 25 meters she can complete it in 18 seconds. In the 50 meters, she can take it in 42 seconds.)
Four months after she joined the swimming team at her school, she participated in her first-ever competition, the Bo’s Talisay Swimming Challenge.
The event was part of the fiesta celebration of Talisay City.
Of the five events for the girls 7-8 category, Adrianna bested four events, including the 50 SC meter freestyle, 25 SC meter freestyle, 25 SC meter backstroke, and the 25 SC meter butterfly.
“At first, hadlok siya. The only thing nga akong gisulti niya nga mao ra ra ni og going to school ba. Nga sa sige nimo og tuon. This is now the exam. Kaning imong competition, exam ni nimo to check maayo ba ka or dili,” he said.
(At first, she was scared. The only thing that I can say to her is that this was like going to school. That you always study. This is now the exam. This competition, this is your exam to check if you are good or not.)
The swimming event was participated by 14 swimming teams from Cebu, Dumaguete, and Bohol.