By: Nicole Parallag
CAPAS, Tarlac — The UAAP Season 87 Athletics Championships witnessed a moment of pure inspiration on Sunday, as 16-year-old Sep Placido of University of the East delivered a historic performance in the 2000-meter walk at the New Clark City Athletics Stadium here.
With a time of 10:15.32, Placido not only clinched the gold, but also broke a record that only stood for a year – making it a fitting and unforgettable milestone in her career.
For Placido, the victory was not just about crossing the finish line first; it was the culmination of a challenging journey marked by heartbreak.
Her path to the top has been far from easy, and this victory was all the sweeter because of the hurdles she overcame along the way.
“For the Palarong Pambansa 2024, I was supposed to be the gold medalist at that time. Nasa awarding ceremony na po kami, all geared-up na kami for awarding then biglang on hold,” Placido recalled, reflecting on a painful moment from earlier in the year.
“And ‘yun nga po nangyari is na-revise po ung results, naging silver po ako. Dapat po disqualified na po yung isang player. Sobrang nilaban po naming ‘yun; ilang days din po ako ‘di makakain ng ayos hanggang pauwi po kami kase hindi po nila kinonsider.”
That setback at the Palarong Pambansa was difficult for Placido to digest.
The bitter taste of what felt like an unjust decision weighed heavily on her, causing her to question her path forward.
It was a crushing blow to her confidence, and it left her demotivated.
“Parang bumaba din po ung morale ko actually dahil nag-stop po ako nun eh dahil naramdaman ko ‘yung injury ko. Kaya malaking comeback po talaga para sa ‘kin ‘tong pagkapanalo ko sa UAAP,” she shared.
But as the UAAP season approached, Placido found herself at a crossroads.
(C) UAAP Season 87 Media Team
Her injury continued to nag at her, and her spirits were low. Yet, she pushed through, determined to bounce back.
As she lined up for the race on Sunday morning, doubt crept into her mind, but she refused to let it control her.
“Every training, lahat po talaga, it’s all my motivation even for PATAFA Weekly Relays; buti na lang talaga naagapan ko po kaagad. Buti na lang po andito ‘yung family ko to cheer, to support, and, of course, kay Lord,” she said, acknowledging the importance of the support system that helped her rise again.
And rise she did.
With every stride, Placido found the strength she needed to power through her doubts, her injury, and the pressure that had threatened to derail her.
As she crossed the finish line, breaking the record and securing the first gold medal for the Junior Red Warriors, the floodgates of emotion opened.
(C) UAAP Season 87 Media Team
“Grabe, after ko po mag finish sobrang burst of emotions kase I really worked hard for this before this competition andami po talaga nangyari for my career and against all odds, well ayun po talaga motivation ko,” Placido said, her voice filled with gratitude and pride.
Her Cinderella story was complete.
Her performance on Sunday was more than just a record-breaking achievement—it was the realization of a dream that had been tested, time and time again.
