Published in the January 10, 2010 issue of Cebu Daily Newspaper
by Jonas Panerio, Correspondent
Rick Gabuya, Sports Editor
FOR all the intensity that is sure to envelop the prestigious Cebu City Marathon which kicks off early this morning, there is a refreshing concept that one family will be trying to imbibe into the event and it is, “A family that runs together arrives at the finish line together.”
Such is the running motto of the Maximo family as they wake up early today and participate in the first ever staging of the event. Headed by Jonathan “Maxi” Maximo, former president of the Cebu Football Association, he along with his wife Sheila and their three kids, 18-year old
Ina, 14-year old Igi and 10-year old Ica, will not only be delighting themselves in the thrill of an early morning run but more so in the family bond that they forge as they share their passion for running.
Maxi and Ina, a varsity football player at the University of Sto. Tomas in Manila, will be running the half-marathon, a 21-kilometer stretch that the former has called in jest, the “Half-Mary.” The rest of the Maximo family will be running the five kilometer distance.
“I started running in 2008 and I have always tried to get my family to try it. You can really see the benefits of running but in this case, the family bonding is even more important. I'm just so delighted that all of them are running today,” said Maximo who informed that it was in December of last year where they all finally decided to go all in for the event.
DIFFERENT DISTANCES
Ina, who has been into football ever since she was a kid, will be trying to utilize the endurance that she has built playing the sport into finishing the grueling distance. The saving grace is that her dad will be right by her side every step of the way and her family will be cheering her on at the finish line.
“The challenge is there and I wanted my daughter to experience her first half-marathon in her hometown where she has family to cheer her on,” Maxi added.
He also said that his wife's foray today will be her first try at the 5K distance, where she plans to run the first three kilometers and walk the rest of the way. Ica, his youngest daughter and a student at the Sacred Heart School-Hijas, is into ballet but is also into running. Ica added that she plans to finish just ahead of her mom and hopefully not get lost.
Igi on the other hand, a football player at the PAREF-Springdale, is expected to run just ahead of her mom and sister and wait at the finish line, to take pictures of the family.
Maxi also shared this thought which he hopes will inspire other families to run together in future events, “I hope that through this event, people will see the bright side of exercise. The miracle isn't that we finished. The miracle is that we had the courage to start.” /Correspondent Jonas Panerio
