Asia's fastest woman -- Elma Muros-Posadas -- had already
stopped from running on the track, but she has not abandoned the
passion for the sport just yet.
The 43-year-old track superstar's career thrived in the 1990s where she began to bag countless awards and collect magnanimous titles from various prestigious events all around the globe.
For one, she was awarded as the "Athlete of the Year" after the 1996 Southeast Asian (SEA) Games not only by one but two athletic institutions known as the Sports Communication Organization of the Philippines or SCOOP and the Philippines Sports Writers' Association or PSA.
Muros, who was dubbed as the 'Iron Woman' of the Philippines, also seized the legendary epithet of "SEA Games Heptathlon Queen" subsequent to her control of the heptathlon in the 1997 Southeast Asian Games. The swift Filipina sprinter and long jumper hurdled her way to success as she won a total of 15 Southeast Asian gold medals and many other more awards including a bronze medal from a 400-meter hurdle in the 1990 Beijing Asiad and another Bronze in the 1994 Hiroshima Asiad Long Jump. But for the retired trackster, her sweetest triumph was the Century Dash that she won in the December 1996 SEA Games in Thailand.
Running
"Good things come slow - especially in distance running."
The 43-year-old track superstar's career thrived in the 1990s where she began to bag countless awards and collect magnanimous titles from various prestigious events all around the globe.
For one, she was awarded as the "Athlete of the Year" after the 1996 Southeast Asian (SEA) Games not only by one but two athletic institutions known as the Sports Communication Organization of the Philippines or SCOOP and the Philippines Sports Writers' Association or PSA.
Muros, who was dubbed as the 'Iron Woman' of the Philippines, also seized the legendary epithet of "SEA Games Heptathlon Queen" subsequent to her control of the heptathlon in the 1997 Southeast Asian Games. The swift Filipina sprinter and long jumper hurdled her way to success as she won a total of 15 Southeast Asian gold medals and many other more awards including a bronze medal from a 400-meter hurdle in the 1990 Beijing Asiad and another Bronze in the 1994 Hiroshima Asiad Long Jump. But for the retired trackster, her sweetest triumph was the Century Dash that she won in the December 1996 SEA Games in Thailand.
 |
| SOURCE: http://pinoymiler.wordpress.com |
Running
"Good things come slow - especially in distance running."
- Bill Dellinger,
Oregon coach
Elma did not traverse in a smooth and easy path. She struggled hard and
fell down many times before she was able to pick herself up and
continue the run. During the height of her sports career, Elma
experienced being demoralized by intrigues that hounded her career for
quite some time. Even though she is a real winner in life, Elma did not
take home all the golds that she fought for. She experienced being just
a second-best and for some instances, she even ended up losing.
Despite all of those challenges, plus the fact that she belonged to an impoverished family, Elma still managed to keep herself whole and her confidence intact. She proved that Filipino athletes are born to be tacticians. Whatever they may lack physically and logistically, they make up with their speed, force and tenacity. They finish every fight magnanimously and maintains their grace while striving for focus and precision in their every move. Also, it is common among Filipino athletes to get their strength and inspiration from their families and loved ones.
With the case of Elma, her father played a big part in her run toward success. During the low points of her career, Elma's father gave words that motivated her to trust in her abilities and be patient in waiting for her moment of success. She remembered her father saying in Filipino, "It's not yet too late. What goes around comes around so just wait for your moment on top."
Those words that showed fatherly love appeared as a prophetic statement because Elma Muros truly achieved her place on top and managed to maintain that spot even until now that she has retired.
Teaching
Despite all of those challenges, plus the fact that she belonged to an impoverished family, Elma still managed to keep herself whole and her confidence intact. She proved that Filipino athletes are born to be tacticians. Whatever they may lack physically and logistically, they make up with their speed, force and tenacity. They finish every fight magnanimously and maintains their grace while striving for focus and precision in their every move. Also, it is common among Filipino athletes to get their strength and inspiration from their families and loved ones.
With the case of Elma, her father played a big part in her run toward success. During the low points of her career, Elma's father gave words that motivated her to trust in her abilities and be patient in waiting for her moment of success. She remembered her father saying in Filipino, "It's not yet too late. What goes around comes around so just wait for your moment on top."
Those words that showed fatherly love appeared as a prophetic statement because Elma Muros truly achieved her place on top and managed to maintain that spot even until now that she has retired.
 |
| SOURCE: http://survivormuch.com |
"I am willing to teach those who want to learn, because I would hate to see them waste their talents."
- Elma Muros
In January 2002, Elma Muros concluded her sports career. As she retires, she also closed one of the most celebrated chapters in Philippines sports.
After bringing home countless awards and immeasurable honor for the Philippines, Elma has decided to slow down in her journey and divert more of her time and energy for her family. Elma was married to Coach George Posadas and they were blessed with two children. The elder is Clarisse Yvonne, who acquired the athletic genes of her parents, and Georger Jr. who has just turned 7 years old.
Back in 2002, the Philippine Amateur Track and Field Association (PATAFA) President Go Teng Ko announced Elma's retirement. He said that their emotions clashed as they all felt both happy and sad by Elma's decision. They were saddened because they will surely miss Elma and her amazing humility despite her huge success. On the other hand, they also felt happy because they became part of her glorious life and career at the least. The joy and honor that she had brought them were incomparable as well. As the group moved on from Elma's retirement, they shared with the Iron Woman's new goal in life -- to train more young and promising tracksters.
Presently, Elma and her husband are coach athletics at Brent School in Laguna and at Jose Rizal University. Now that she is living a quiet life as a mentor, Elma is far from the intrigues that she struggled through during her career as an athlete. Even though she seems contented with her new advocacy, Elma admitted in some interviews that she still misses those times when the entire country adored her and thanked her for all the pride that she has brought home to the Philippines.
What the public might not be aware of is that Elma remained loyal and patriotic to her nation even as she stopped competing internationally. As she retired, Elma turned down an offer from another country for her to coach at a school abroad. Because she loves the Philippines, she opted to teach and train young Filipino athletes than to gain better financial rewards.
Obviously, she has not put off the fire of the torch; Elma simply passed the flame to the young others who share the same passion for running and winning.
*This is an unpublished article I submitted as a requirement for my SportsJrn class in my senior year as a Journalism student.
No comments:
Post a Comment