How CrossFit helped change this athlete-designer’s lifestyle
With numerous social media posts showing him grimacing and lifting weights over his head, Odelon Simpao looks like a weightlifter. Well, he is a weightlifter, and a serious CrossFit advocate who worked his way to second ranking in the male category in the Philippines for two years.
Now, he also coaches both weightlifting and CrossFit classes in his bid to “impart knowledge” to younger, like-minded athletes. Fashion watchers will know, however, that Simpao was a designer first before he got into CrossFit a decade ago.
Simpao began designing over 15 years ago and became known for designing menswear. He recently branched out into bridal, inspired by his former mentor and partner, Frederick Peralta. In an earlier interview, he admitted to having already designed bridal gowns but “isa-isa lang (one by one only).”
As a child growing up in Cagayan de Oro, Simpao had always been into sports, badminton in particular. “I played competitively and represented the school in national games,” he told Lifestyle. “I was actually supposed to be part of the pool of players at the Ateneo de Manila, but my parents didn’t allow me to move to Manila.”
When he arrived in Manila after college, he was still playing badminton and joining competitions. “I noticed that even if I played regularly, I still ended up gaining weight. Ang taba ko pa din. After playing, we would eat fast food and I used to smoke—it was a really bad lifestyle.”
He decided to really cut down and joined Fitness First, where he would do cycling classes back to back, followed by weight training and badminton. “I had so much time then, but I eventually got bored because it became routine.”
A friend introduced him to CrossFit, telling him the exercises were constantly varied—that the workouts changed daily. It could be legs one day, strength training the next.
“I tried it out and liked it because it was functional fitness; you do a lot of squats and presses. It was general physical preparedness so you can do things you normally do on a daily basis, like walk or carry groceries,” Simpao said.
He became leaner and saw improved muscle mass. And since he’s always been competitive, he began training almost immediately. After six months, he competed as part of a team which ended up winning.
Competing
Soon after, he began competing as an individual. “In the first CrossFit open I joined, I was 16th in the Philippines. On the second year, I ranked fourth. On the third and fourth years, I ranked second. I never got to number one but we competed abroad and represented the country in the regional CrossFit games in Australia.”
Over a decade later, he’s still at it. He said that more often than not, as people grow older, they find reasons not to exercise. “For me, I actually look forward to it. I make sure that I get to move, whether it’s a 30-minute jog around our subdivision or on a treadmill in the hotel gym when I’m traveling. Magpapawis lang. There’s never been a week when I haven’t worked out.”
To prove his point, he recalled how some weightlifters stop working out for a week if they injure their shoulder. “As an athlete, it’s about knowing how to handle injuries. When I injure my shoulder, I know that I can do legs. I can bike or run. There should be no excuses. We have so many muscles in our body that we can still work out even with an injury.”
Simpao, who’s turning 40 later this year, teaches CrossFit and weightlifting classes when he’s able to fit it into his schedule. “I want the younger ones to see that even at my age, they can still work out if they really want to be stronger or remain healthy as they mature.”
Teaching is also his way of giving back. “CrossFit helped change my lifestyle. I don’t drink anymore—maybe just an occasional cocktail or a glass of wine. And I sleep early because if I don’t, I wake up feeling lethargic and won’t be able to work out. CrossFit is my passion, but my bread and butter is fashion.”
Simpao is one of the featured designers in the Luxuriant Expo and 9th Calgary International Fashion and Arts Week (CIFAW) at the annual “Marriott Moments A-Fair” scheduled on July 26-27 at Manila Marriott Hotel. He will be joined by several Philippine- and Canada-based designers and design groups including Sci Ph, John Ablaza, Kenny Ladaga, Aurea Vinluan, Maliyah Abenir, and Jaki Penalosa.
