SAN CARLOS CITY -- The horoscope this 18-year-old girl read in a newspaper when she was in Grade 5 inspired her to pursue sports. With things going great, her ultimate dream now is to become a member of the Philippine team.

Lany Cardona was the lone qualifier to the 33rd National Milo Marathon from the Dagupan City Milo Eliminations Race held last Sunday.

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Cardona clocked 1:35:47 in the 21-kilometer race; the first among the five women runners to reach the finish line (she placed sixth in the Baguio leg last year). She was the 13th finisher among all the 21-kilometer participants.

She hails from Barangay Pilar at the Santiago Island of Bolinao town and is a second year Hotel and Restaurant Management (HRM) student at the Virgen Milagrosa University Foundation (VMUF) here.

Her 56-year-old father Oscar is a fisherman while her mother Maria Salome is a plain housewife. She is the only athlete among the five siblings.

Not only is she getting free education (complete with board and lodging and allowance) at the VMUF, it also enables her to help her family.

Cardona said she gave the P5,000 of her P10,000 cash prize to her family.

The 33rd National Milo Marathon will be held in Manila on October 11, 2009. Cardona will run in the 42-kilometer event where the curfew hour for the female runners is two hours and 58 minutes; and two hours and 35 minutes for the men.

“The 42 kilometers like the distance from Bolinao to Alaminos City,” she remarked adding she will start training for it the moment they receive the notice from the marathon organizers.

VMUF President Ma. Lilia Juan was very happy when she received the news about the recent feat of a VMUF athletics scholar.

Recognition from the school is forthcoming for the petite athlete.

Meanwhile, Cardona expressed her thanks to first district Congressman Arthur Celeste and his brother, Bolinao Mayor Alfonso Celeste, for the P6,000 (total) monthly allowance they are giving her for about two years now.

Another Bolinao athlete enjoying the same allowance from the Celestes is Maricris Carolino, an athletics scholar at VMUF taking up Animal Health Technology.

Cardona said she was called up for a meeting by the Celestes after they read in the newspaper about her four gold haul from the Philippine Olympic Festival held in Vigan City in 2006.

Cardona finished high school at Pilar National High School. She was discovered at the Vigan sports event by VMUF Sports Director Marcelino Dona.

Aside from VMUF, University of Baguio, University of the Cordilleras, Lyceum Northwestern University and University of Luzon also offered her college scholarship.

However, she chose VMUF because it was only Dona who went to their house in Barangay Pilar and talked to his parents. She was already enrolled at the University of the Cordilleras when she grabbed the offer.

She was tagged as the track and field star of Pangasinan after capturing four golds and a silver in the National Open Athletics Championships held last May 2009.

The event was held at the Narciso Ramos Sports and Civic Center in Lingayen.

She ruled the 5-kilometer event in the Land Transportation Office’s “Earth Run for the Environment” held in Dagupan City last July 2009.

To the young athletes, this was Cardona’s words of wisdom: “Huwag isipin na mahina ka, training at discipline sa sarili ang kailangan. Kapag nananalo ka ng medal, huwag hayaang lumaki ang ulo at yumabang.”

Aside from the National Milo Marathon, Cardona and VMUF athletics assistant coach Lawrence Waytan said they are now preparing for the Private Schools Athletic Association (Prisaa) Regional Competition and the Dual Meet (public and private schools) where the selected athletes will represent the Region 1 in National Prisaa/Commission on Higher Education (Ched) Palaro. (LCMY/Sunnex)