Cebuana swimmer reaps medals in Thailand

Sports

NOT even an incessant vomiting and diarrhea could stop this youthful Cebuana swimmer from shining bright in her first competition abroad.

Adrianna Erika Ching, fondly called Yna, made a huge splash in Bangkok, Thailand when she snagged nine medals in the recent Asian Open Schools Invitational Long Course Swimming Championships.

Yna won three gold medals, five silvers, and one bronze in a remarkable performance that enabled her to bring home the prestigious Outstanding Swimmer Award in the 10-year-old girls category.

Yna, a member of the University of San Carlos swimming team, ruled the 100-meter fly, 50m fly, and 100m freestyle.

Adding to Yna’s massive medal haul in the competition that was participated by 21 Asian countries were her silver finishes in the 50m freestyle, 50m breaststroke, 50m backstroke, 100m breaststroke, and 100m backstroke.

Guided by coach Ryan Galo, Yna also won a silver in the medley relay and a bronze in the freestyle relay.

The feat was nothing short of amazing as Yna had to battle fatigue.

“She was vomiting and had diarrhea. I even planned to bring her to a hospital but she was really determined to finish her competition,” Yna’s mother Racquel said.

Yna summoned every ounce of her strength while seeking divine intervention too.

Seeking divine intervention is something that is not new to Yna. Part of her pre-swim routine includes, tapping the water then the diving board before making a sign of the cross and pointing her finger to the heavens.

As she was fatigued by incessant vomiting, Yna’s father Eric shared this dramatic scene.

“I asked her, “what will we do now?” He told me “Pa, please pray over me.” So I pulled her aside, and prayed over her,” said Eric.

Fatigued and all, the show went on for Yna and went on to reap one medal after another to the delight of not just her family but also the competing contingents.

Another dramatic scene unfolded shortly after the diminutive swimmer completed her last event.

“She was crying when she approached me and told me that we must go to Simala upon returning home,” Eric said.

Eric shared that Yna had promised that if she would win a gold in the competition, she would offer it to Simala Shrine, a renowned Roman Catholic pilgrimage site in Sibonga, Cebu.

Her first international competition was certainly a test of mental and physical fortitude, and without a doubt, Yna passed it with flying colors.

“My favorite word is “mindset.” That’s what my papa always tells me at home. I should always have a winning mindset,” Yna said.

Racquel, on the other hand, shared that her daughter is one who wants her performance to do the talking.

“She has this battlecry that really motivates her to win,” Racquel.

So what really is her battlecry?

“I won’t wish for it, I will work for it. That’s my motto,” Yna said. “I always think that everytime I swim, I'm gonna win. I’m always excited, I always looked forward to joining a competition.”

With a strong suppory system, Yna has certainly developed a winning attitude.

But this fierce swimmer who idolizes Gretchen Walsh and Michael Phelps is also not afraid of losing.

“When I lose, I just go back to training and I will train harder so I can win the next competition,” she said.

But training hard to win medals is not just the reason why Yna is taking her training sessions seriously.

“I want my family, my “lola, my teachers, and my coach to be happy. That’s why I train hard so that I’ll win and my papa, mama, and ate will be proud of me,” Yna said.

What Yna did in her international abroad was by no means a small feat, showing that at a young age of 10, she has what it takes to make it big.(CCM)