by Arabella Balderama and Therese Bernal

Swimming. Through the years, what once started as a mere recreational activity has become renowned as one of the world’s most esteemed sports—pushing decades upon decades of athletes to test the limits of a discipline unfamiliar to most humans. Indeed, the ability to plunge past the unyielding resistance of water and propel past the ebb and flow of its waves with utmost precision and grace is artful talent in and of itself—a skill that, like in any other sport, doesn’t always come easy.

Established in 1938, the University Athletic Association of the Philippines (UAAP) is an athletic association that annually hosts 31 events from 17 different disciplines, competed in by the varsity teams of eight of the country’s Metro Manila universities. This lineup includes the Ateneo de Manila University, which has garnered various achievements within the league’s Collegiate and High School divisions throughout the decades.

This year, as it turns out, would not be any different.

Two ASHS Students Crowned Swimming MVPs

The UAAP Season 85 Swimming Championships Junior Division concluded on Sunday, November 27, with two players from Ateneo Senior High School garnering MVP awards.

Ivo Enot from 11-De Brito and Lora Amoguis from 11-Garnet were named the most valuable players for the junior boys’ and junior girls’ divisions, respectively.

With both players having nine years of experience in competitive swimming under their belt, Enot and Amoguis have affirmed that, without a doubt, being a student-athlete can be challenging and requires dedication not only in sports but also in academics.

Arduous Training

The team’s training, created by the Ayala Harpoons Swim Club’s coaches, includes dry lands followed by their primary training, which lasts around two hours. With eight to nine training sessions weekly, swimming had inevitably become entangled with their academic life—with them having to juggle hours of classes and lectures sandwiched between stringent training sessions in the morning and afternoon.

Enot and Amoguis attested that, once the school year had started, their training became far more rigorous and intense to the point where they had to mentally train their minds to show up to practice.

“I can attest that it is far more rigorous than the other teams I have participated in,” Enot notes. “However, based on my previous results, I can notice significant gains despite joining a new team here in Manila.”

To Swim for a Dream

Competing in the UAAP and representing Ateneo in the swimming varsity was an excellent experience for Enot as it was his biggest dream even way back. “It feels like a dream that I’m here right now, bringing the pride of Ateneo,” he stated.

Amoguis shared the same sentiment, “It fills me with pride and joy to know I am swimming for the ASHS,” adding that this experience had instilled a new kind of motivation within her.

The two did not complete this journey alone, of course. Aside from self-assurance and confidence, the two swimmers stated that one significant aspect that helped them attain the MVP title was emotional support from their coaches, family, managers, and teammates.

“I dedicate my swims to all of them,” said Amoguis, about the latter.

“The Ateneo FAST Swimming Team Family is by far the biggest, most supportive, and most cheerful team I’ve joined,” Enot added. 

Both the swimmers attribute their achievements to the constant guidance and support of the people around them, and assert that it was indeed through the encouragement that they received that they were able to bring home the prestigious title.

Just the Beginning

Despite having waded through torrents of uncertainty and doubt, harshly carried by ripples of highs and lows, and submerged into waters both familiar and foreign—certainly, the positive influence and the genuine sincerity that this achievement brings would be felt for journeys to come.

For both Ivo Enot and Lora Amoguis, the MVP award only marks the beginning of their careers in swimming. Ahead of them lies a path with many things yet to be achieved, and with the auspicious precedence that this title inspires, both swimmers are sure to push forward with renewed vigor and motivation.

Thumbnail from ASHS Athlete’s Council