Sep Placido: From nullified Palaro record to Nat’l junior glory

Sep Placido with her coach Saturnino Salazar. | Photo from Placido’s Facebook

CAPAS, Tarlac— Nearly a year ago, Sep Placido returned to Pasig City heartbroken. The then 16-year-old had just seen her proudest athletic achievement—the Palarong Pambansa record she set in Cebu City—wiped from the books after technical officials ruled the Cebu City Sports Center’s track oval did not meet regulation measurements. It was a bitter pill to swallow for a young athlete on the rise.

Fast forward to May 1, 2025, and Placido, now 17 and representing the University of the East (UE) Red Warriors, completed a powerful redemption arc by rewriting the record books—this time, with no controversy attached.

At the ICTSI Philippine Athletics Championships held at the New Clark City Athletics Stadium, Placido etched her name into history as the new Philippine junior record holder in the women’s 10,000-meter race walk. She clocked in at 57 minutes and 55.90 seconds, erasing the 20-year-old record of 59:21.1 set by Maricel Diaz in 2005.

Placido’s bronze-medal finish came behind seasoned contenders—Azeneth Serat of University of Santo Tomas (56:51.95) and Juliana Talaro of University of the Philippines (55:57.21). But for Placido, this race wasn’t about medals. It was about proving to herself—and to the sport—that she could rise from heartbreak and come back stronger.

“It feels surreal to break a national junior record, especially since it’s my first time competing in the open elite category and at 10,000 meters,” Placido told CDN Digital.

“It’s very precious to me. Coming off an injury and after last year’s disappointment at Palaro, I really wanted to come back stronger—and I did,” she added.

PERSONAL REDEMPTION

She described her record-breaking feat as a personal redemption, one built on resilience.

“Before the competition started, I told myself I would just enjoy the race—no pressure. I feel so blessed to have competed alongside my seniors and international race walkers from Malaysia,” she said.

“It was really challenging, especially mentally, as the laps wore on and the pace got faster. But I was ready for it.”

Placido’s historic performance follows her dominant run in the UAAP, where she shattered league records in both the 2,000m and 5,000m walkathons, helping lift UE to the girls’ track and field championship.

“First of all, I’m beyond grateful to the Lord for giving me the strength to perform at my best in every competition,” she said. “I thank Coach Saturnino Salazar and my family for always being there for me. For now, my goal is to keep improving. I believe there’s so much more I can work on. I want to strive harder to help bring race walking back into the spotlight in the Philippines.”