12-year-old swimmer eyes more after record-setting feats
Titus Sia is ecstatic over breaking two Palarong Pambansa records. But complete satisfaction will only come if he wins everything he can.
“My goal is to win all seven golds and records. I find swimming fun because I can achieve new times and discover more things about myself,’’ said the 12-year-old Sia after he broke the long-standing marks in the elementary boys 200-meter (m) freestyle and 100m backstroke.
The National Capital Region (NCR) swim ace was never threatened in asserting himself in the 200m free in two minutes and 7.86 seconds that sank the 12-year-old standard of Rafael Barreto (2:08.12) during the 2013 Dumaguete version of the Palaro.
Sia, a quintuple gold medalist in the NCR Athletic Association swimfest, was likewise unmatched in the 100m back in 1:05.44, erasing the record set by NCR’s Martin Seth (1:06.38) in 2015 Tagum City, Davao Del Norte.
The pool standout from Xavier School touched the pool wall at Ferdinand E. Marcos Memorial Stadium in Laoag City more than five seconds ahead of Calabarzon tankers Arc Renzy Valdez, who claimed the silver in 1:10.36 and bronze medalist Marcus Jared Dula (1:11.36).
“I’m happy because I not only won my first gold in the Palaro, but also broke two long-standing records,’’ said Sia, whose third gold came by helping NCR top the 4x50m medley relay (2:06.83) along with Reighlem Scziyo Salon, Findlay Jake Mackenzie and Joshua Erik Chua.
Sia went from bringing home a lone bronze medal from the Cebu City Palaro last year to shattering the standards in his events this year.
“That bronze really gave me the motivation to continue swimming,’’ said Sia, whose parents and two brothers tagged along to witness his exploits.
Sofia Garra likewise secured a golden treble for NCR after emerging triumphant in the girls’ elementary 200m free (2:17.62) and 100m free (1:07.61) with the latter performance wiping out her own mark of 1:08.50 in Cebu last year.
Reinielle Trinidad of Calabarzon got himself into the record books, too, by defeating Jamesray Ajido in a narrow victory of 25.23 seconds in the boys’ 50m butterfly to eclipse Jose Albert Amaro II’s 25.56 standard achieved in the 2024 Cebu Palaro. Ajido’s 25.45 also shadowed Amaro’s record.
