Motorace Press Conference: Send off event for MARY JOY TABAL for Asian Games 2018

by Sheila Marie Catacte, TriLife Magazine Staff Writer

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After an intense 5 months training in Italy, Olympian Marathoner Mary Joy Tabal has returned to Cebu and getting ready for her flight for Jakarta, Indonesia to compete for the first time representing the country in the Asian Games 2018. She is scheduled to fly to Jakarta on August 23, 2018. The actual race is happening on August 26, 2018.

President of Motorace, Jonel Borromeo welcomed everyone in the Press Conference to send off Mary Joy Tabal, our country’s bet for the Asian Games 2018 and expressed his all-out support for this new challenge that she is going to race in. He said that Motorace's aim in sponsoring Joy is to support her to become the best athlete that she can be. Having enrolled her to a one year contract for her intensive training in Italy is their way of assisting athletes like her who have the potential yet lacks the resources especially coming from our own place, Cebu.

Cebu City Mayor Tomas Osmena graced the event and personally gave Mary Joy Tabal words of support and encouragement. The mayor said,” I am here to cheer Joy, all of Cebu is behind you. Just Run, don’t think if you win or lose. Just run just like Forrest Gump”. Mayor Tomas shared that he intends to get the youth involved in sports and find their interest through maximum participation in engaging in competitions. He said that this is a way for us to gather the athletes for a broader selection of the best ones to send in different international games, compete and win for the country.

Coach John Philip Duenas advised her to just focus on the race as you have trained for this and everything is possible. He said that let Joy’s achievement be an inspiration to others that if Joy could do it, so can you. Coach JPD assessed that Joy can make it to 2:40:00 given that she has trained for this and Jakarta is somewhat the same climate as what we have here. That is an advantage for Joy, however, it also depends on the race course during the Asian Games.

Mary Joy Tabal shared that August is competition month for her and she should be ready come race day. She aims to get a medal in the Asian Games. The training she had in Italy gave her more confidence. She had a lot of endurance training here in the Philippines and she had high interval training in Italy considering high altitude and a need for exposure to other races like training with Kenyans and Ugandans. Her training gave her opportunities to be exposed to other environments and challenges. Her goal is to break her own record of 2:43:31 and the new record she will be making is going to be her baseline to qualify for the Olympics. The Asian Games 2018 is her first time to raise our flag in a much bigger sporting stage. After the Asian Games 2018, she will continue her training in Italy as her main target is Gold for Tokyo 2020.

Motorace President also announced that the press conference was not only to send off Joy to the Asian Games but to also congratulate our very own Coach JPD for finishing 3rd place Asian Elite Men in the recently concluded 2018 Century Tuna Full Ironman Philippines and to introduce a new team under Motorace, the Spartan headed by Coach Carlo who invited everyone to join Sept. 2 Obstacle Course Racing in Labogon, Mandaue for the Gorilla Challenge.