Never does Gary Bejino feel disabled whenever he’s in the swimming pool.
He lost an arm and a leg at the age of seven due to an electric shock, but that didn’t stop him from becoming the accomplished para-swimmer he is.
Bejino won his first international event when he struck gold in the men’s 400-meter freestyle in the 2015 ASEAN Para Games in Singapore.
He won another gold in the following biennial meet before collecting a silver and two bronzes in the 2018 Asian Para Games in Jakarta.
“‘Pag nasa tubig ako, hindi ko na siya ma-feel na differently-abled ako,” said the 25-year-old in a virtual sendoff organized by Citi Philippines last Thursday.
Tanker Ernie Gawilan, just like his younger teammate, finds solace in the pool. And for him, the sport has also made him feel the very same way.
“Sa akin po malaking impact po ‘yung sports sa akin dahil isa po ‘yun sa bumuo ng pagkatao ko,” said the veteran athlete, who’s five years older than Bejino.
Gawilan is born with underdeveloped extremities that led to him lacking legs and an underdeveloped left limb, but has etched his name in local sports history.
The Davao-native is the country’s first-ever gold medalist in the Asian Para Games by ruling the men’s 200 meter individual medley SM7 in 2018.
He also collected a couple more golds in the said edition of the quadrennial meet, which hiked his total medal collection to 19.
Yes, Gawilan has that much. He has 10 gold medals, four silvers, and five bronzes, all of which he won from the Asiad and the ASEAN Para Games.
“Determination lang po talaga ang kailangan ng isang tao para maabot ‘yung gusto niyang maabot sa buhay,” he offered.
Now, the two swimmers are carrying their experiences to Tokyo for the upcoming 16th Paralympic Games this week.
Gawilan qualified as he met the minimum qualifying time for the 400m freestyle S6 event. He formalized his entry by taking part in the World Para Swimming World Series in Berlin, where he also won a bronze.
Gawilan is set for another Paralympic stint as he was also present in the 2016 Games in Rio de Janeiro, where he swam at the 400-meter freestyle, 100-meter freestyle, and 100-meter backstroke events.
Bejino also participated in the said meet, although he earned a berth following the approval of his bi-partite application from the international federation.
The two are part of the six-strong Team Pilipinas set to compete in the prestigious meet, which runs from August 24 to September 5.
Both athletes know that they would be facing a much different competition in Japan, but they’re out there to compete the best they can.
“Kahit na mahirap, ‘wag lang tayong manawang subukan ‘yung isang bagay para maabot natin ‘yung gusto nating maabot,” Gawilan said.
