When Kayla Sanchez switched allegiance from Canada to represent the Philippines in swimming, there was a wave of confidence — not only from the previous national sports association but, more importantly, from fellow swimmers and the broader swimming community.
Three years later, the University of British Columbia standout made her mark in her first-ever Southeast Asian Games, highlighted by a silver medal in the 4×100-meter medley relay on Monday at the Sports Authority of Thailand Aquatics Center.
Born a winner, Sanchez never gave up, pulling the Philippines onto the podium despite trailing early in the race — truly living up to her role as anchor.
“I was scanning the field, trying to keep my eyes open. I knew I just needed to do my job, and even though I’m racing, I just have to follow my own race plan, and stay calm and focused,” said the 24-year-old veteran.
Sanchez ultimately touched second behind Singaporean legend Quah Ting Wen, stopping the clock at 4:09.33 — a new national record for her, Xiandi Chua, Heather White, and Miranda Jenner.
Overall, the two-time Olympian ended the Games with eight medals — three golds and five silvers — becoming the most bemedalled athlete of the Philippine delegation and setting a new benchmark for the country’s swimmers.
Her achievement marks the most golds won by a Filipino swimmer in a SEA Games since Akiko Thomson captured three in the 1989 Kuala Lumpur edition.
Sanchez’s haul also comes with substantial rewards: under Philippine law, she stands to receive cash incentives totaling P1.2 million. Republic Act 10699 grants P300,000 for each SEA Games gold medal and P150,000 for silver, with team-event prizes divided among members if fewer than five.
Sanchez dominated the 100-meter races in both freestyle and backstroke, while contributing to the historic 4×100-meter medley relay victory alongside White, Chloe Isleta, and Chua, setting a new Philippine record of 3:44.26.
The same quartet also claimed silver in the 4×200-meter freestyle relay, establishing another national standard of 8:11.55.
Sanchez and White delivered a rare 1-2 finish for the Philippines in the women’s 100-meter freestyle, capping a stellar campaign for the Filipino swimmers.
Chua and Gian Santos added two more silvers from the women’s 200-meter backstroke and the men’s 200-meter individual medley, respectively. White completed her personal medal collection with a bronze in the 50-meter freestyle.
Logan Noguchi rounded out the campaign with a bronze in the 50-meter butterfly and set a new Philippine record of 22.55 seconds in the 50-meter freestyle, where he finished fourth.
Speaking on behalf of the 11-member contingent, Sanchez expressed gratitude for the support they received throughout the Games.
“It takes a village, so thank you for all the support for Team Philippines. We just like to thank our coaches, our coaches at home, and the support from the fans and from our families. You guys followed our journey; thank you so much,” she said.
“And happy SEA Games,” Sanchez added, beaming with pride over her successful debut and the performance of the entire Philippine team.
