MATTEO Guidicelli
ONE OF the things spectators look forward to in every Cobra IronMan event in Cebu are the celebrities who participate in the grueling race.
This year’s edition, the Asia Pacific Championships, which will be held Aug. 7, has its share of celebrity participants.
Sunrise Events Inc. (SEI), the organizing team behind the international triathlon event, released the list of noted celebrities who signed up for the race. Top on the list is Cebuano poster boy Matteo Guidicelli, who is actually a regular participant of the event. He will be joined by Piolo Pascual, who will again be competing in the relay category, Dingdong Dantes, Paul Jake Castillo, international singer Apl de Ap, weather man Kim Atienza, showbiz host Gretchen Fullido, Dyan Castillejo, TV actor and host Ivan Carapiet, Bubbles Paraiso, renowned photographer Xander Angeles, Anthony and Maricel Laxa Pangilinan, photographer Sara Black, former Cavite governor and journalist Gilbert Remulla and SEI’s big boss Wilfred Steven Uytengsu.
In the past five years of hosting the event, Cebuano fans usually troop to the streets to wait for their favorite celebrity to pass by.
The celebrities will be among the 3,000 triathletes from 43 countries who will be competing in the biggest triathlon race in the Asia Pacific region. The race features a 1.9-kilometer swim, 90km bike and 21k run distance.
Pro athletes joining include defending Philippines IronMan champions Tim Reed of Australia and Swiss Caroline Steffen.
They will be joined by multi-titled triathletes Tim Van Berkel,Craig Alexander,Sam Betten, Matthew Franklin, Cameron Brown, Nick Baldwin, Dan Brown, Jonathan Ciavatella, Anthony Costes, Branden Currie, Leon Griffin, Bradley Kahlefeldt, Ivan Kalashinikov, Lachlan Kerin, Mitchell Kerin, Levi Maxwell, Alexander Polizzi, Stephen Thompson, Eric Watson, Dimity Lee-Duke, Kathryn Haesner, Radka Vodicova, Amelia Rose Watkinson, Judith Corachan Vacquera, Sarah Crowley and Michelle Bremer.