Through his Greater Cebu Sports Organizing Committee, Guardo is bent on helping Bitbit, the lone Cebuano in the RP women’s cycling team.
“I will help her out in any way I can,” said Guardo.
Guardo responded to Bitbit’s request for Guardo to help her buy a Dura Ace Group set and a wheel set for a road bike worth P80,000.
Bitbit competes in all the cycling disciplines but she does not have a service bicycle from the Philippine Cycling Association.
“If I buy my own bike, mahurot lang akong allowance,” said Bitbit, who is now the only rider left in the women’s division.
A cyclists’ stay with the team is determined by how serious they are in training and how hard they work to improve. This is the reason why Guardo is helping Bitbit out, because of her dedication to her craft.
Aside from equipment problems, Bitbit also needs additional food allowance in order for her to have the proper nourishment to prepare her body for arduous tasks ahead.
“If they would provide me with this, then the money that I have will be used to buy energy drinks,” said Bitbit, who receives a monthly allowance of P11,000 from the Philippine Sports Commission.
Bitbit is set to compete in the Olympics qualifying event for road and track races next month in Capetown, South Africa. The qualifying for mountainbike will be in October.
“I finished 10th in the road race and fourth in track during the last Asian Games and I am hoping that I could pull off a good performance so that I could race in the Olympics,” Bitbit said. (MCB)
