The Race of Life

Ready, Get Set, Go! Bang! As the countdown to the

race expires. This is the sound you hear at gun start of
every race. Runners warming up, stretching their
muscles, fitting their goggles snugly and a team of
supporters on the other side of the venue doing last
minute checkup with their bikes and gears. A jam-packed
audience usually family members, friends, co-workers
and sports enthusiasts cheer for the athletes and
celebrities at the sidelines. This was the scene at the
recent Iron Man 70.3. the biggest annual Triathlon event
in the country held in Mactan Island, Cebu last August
Lester finishes the Top 8
under the age category with
the time of 6:46:31 in the
recently concluded Cobra
Iron Man 70.3 Triathlon in
Cebu, Philippines last August
2014.

2014.

Among the thousand triathletes that participated in this

years event, one person caught my attention, he is

medium-built, athletic body with toned arms and legs, brown skin complexion and bald, and
lastly, he is no TV celebrity like what most of you are thinking right now.
He is Lester Lagos, The Philippines first Deaf Triathlete.
As a Deaf person, I am blessed. This quote struck our hearts and minds as we
interviewed Lester Lagos. He proved that being deaf is not a hindrance in reaching his goals.
Lester is 29 years old from Makati City, Philippines. He is the middle child and the only deaf
among the five siblings. He found out that he was deaf when he was five years old but it didnt
stop him from dreaming. Lester finished mainstream college at the Cambridge CertifiedAssumption English School in Singapore and was able to graduate without an interpreter. He
took three courses. His first course was Multimedia Arts at De La Salle College of St. Benilde-

School for Deaf Education and Applied Studies.

Culinary Arts was his second course which he took at
Magsaysay Institute of Culinary Arts. And lastly, a
course in AntiGravity Fundamental and Flying Fitness
Yoga in which he earned in New York City in 2012.
What is interesting is that he is the first Deaf AntiGravity Yoga Instructor in the whole world. He
became a Yoga Instructor of some celebrities like the
Gonzaga sisters (Toni & Alex), Judy Ann Santos, and
many more.
In Sports, he was part of the Deaf Philippine
Swimming Team for 20 years. He was one of the Top 10 in Go Negosyo and Top 4 in PLDT
SME Next Gen Bossing.

Last year, he was supposed to join the

Ironman 70.3 in Cebu but wasnt able to because he
was still focusing on his swimming training in Russia. This January 2014, he started his own
NGO (Non-Government Organization) which is called the Philippine Aquatic Sports Federation
for the deaf because he realized that Sports is really important. This year, he made it in the
Ironman race and he was the only Deaf Filipino person who joined the race. He finished the
1.9km swimming, 90km bike, and the 21k run. In his age group category he finished top 8 under
his age group and his overall rank was 658 of 1,508 Tri-athletes all over the world.
During the race, he also met a deaf tri-athlete from Singapore. He was also able to meet
the Top 3 winners of the Ironman Race. He approached them because he wanted to learn a lot
of things from them and they became his inspiration. He was more inspired when he saw a
PWD tri-athlete who has an amputee and told him to join in the next Ironman.

I asked him about what made you pursue all these endeavors and Lester humbly answered He
is lucky and blessed to have a very supportive family. This was crucial and it helped him a lot to
keep him going.
He also shared his three principles in life discipline,
sacrifice, and dedication. These principles guided to
overcome adversaries and challenges he encountered in
practice and in dealing with his day to day life and these took
him to where he is right now. Just be you and do what you
want to do. Never think of yourself as inferior or as a disabled
person. He said when asked about what is his message to
all the PWDs and Deaf people.

Everyday we have our own personal race to finish in life. Along the route, we encounter
a few bumps, pot holes and other obstacles in a form of family problems, professional and
personal issues and disability. The spectators are our own version of our family, friends,
enemies, and the people surrounding us. They cheer, they boo and even distract us. It is up to
us who we turn to and listen because at the end of the day, what matters most is not how many
times we stumble and fall but how we finish the race..

Special thanks to my STC MassCom interns Lourde Santillana and Kassandra Clarito
for assisting me during the interview with Lester Lagos in Cebu.