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Teacher Karen Samson (left) along with Mhigz Medrano and Aliyah Reese Fernando as the 200-strong delegation of the Philippine School for the Deaf participated in the National Milo Marathon for the first time in history at the MOA Arena Concert grounds last weekend.
MANILA, Philippines — Running is for everyone, including for those who could not hear their steps as they traverse an unfamiliar territory.
Two of them were Mhigz Medrano and Aliyah Reese Fernando, who made a giant leap as Milo championed inclusivity with the participation of the Philippine School for the Deaf (PSD) in the National Milo Marathon Manila leg for the first time ever.
“Running is not only for the hearing people. The race is for everyone,” beamed Fernando, through a translation by her teacher Karen Samson after completing the 3K run in the historic Milo edition at the Mall of Asia Arena concert grounds in Pasay last weekend.
Aside from Medrano and Fernando, around 200 students from PSD joined the festive race as the delegation veered away from the serenity of their home and classrooms to attempt at blazing the trail for persons with disability in the future.
And they did as Medrano, for his part, crossed the finish line of the tough 5K run.
Much has been said about inclusivity in different sectors but for Medrano, there’s nothing like a firsthand experience with other people as if you’re in one, similar beautiful spectrum.
“Other people think that we’re scared to join this kind of activity but we’re not. Though it’s not noticeable with other disabilities, we finally get to join and jive. Everyone is accepted in today’s society and we’re happy for that,” smiled Medrano, a Grade 11 Technical-Vocational-Livelihood-Information and Communications Technology (TVL-ICT) student.
“Running is about togetherness. There’s no pressure in running,” added Fernando, also a Grade 11 student.
Both Medrano and Fernando ran with their families and friends, making it more of a journey than a race. And for Milo, that’s exactly the heart of the National Milo Marathon that assembled almost 20,000 runners all over the archipelago.
“Milo is incredibly proud and honored to champion inclusivity by welcoming everyone from the PWD community for the first time. We consider this an affirmation of our commitment to making sports accessible to all, empowering every athlete to celebrate their grit and determination to reach success,” said Milo Sports head Carlo Sampan.
“This commitment is further strengthened through our partnerships with Special Olympics, the Department of Education, and the Philippine Sports Commission, as we continue to create more opportunities for PWD athletes to thrive.”
For PSD, albeit unknown to everyone its activeness in sports with varsity athletes for badminton, volleyball and basketball among the few, making this giant leap in running is just the beginning.
“The PSD excels in ICT but the dream of course is to be known in other fields, not only here in the Philippines but in other countries too. It’s a good start and awareness for us in sports,” said teacher Samson, who joined her students in completing their journey of a lifetime.
