Sunday, July 27, 2008 Jho-An Flores Banayag: Female Athlete of the Year By Marianne L. Saberon-Abalayan
SHE received the Female Athlete of the Year honor at the just-concluded 14th So King Cheng Sports Awards Night at the Grand Regal Hotel. It was the second time she got the award.
But for Jho-an Flores Banayag, receiving the accolade still excites her just like the first time she was hailed the most outstanding female athlete in 2007.
"Nalipay ko. Proud ko kaayo nga gitagaan ko ug plake isip recognition sa akong mga achievements. Gitagaan ug importansiya ang akong mga gipangbuhat (I'm very happy and I'm proud that I was given recognition for my achievements. My works were given importance)," said Banayag who is also known to family and friends as Lhang-Lhang or Jho.
She told Sun.Star Davao that she offers the award to her family and to her fellow athletes.
Jho is the eldest of Jesus and Leonora Banayag's seven children. She was born in Barangay Magcagong Maragusan (San Mariano), Compostela Valley on July 15, 1981. She completed her elementary education at the Mapawa Elementary School and then finished her secondary education at the Mapawa National High School.
She was named SKC female athlete of the year for winning a bronze medal in the 24th Southeast Asian (SEA) Games in Thailand and sweeping the female crowns in the Clark International Marathon in Clark, Pampanga on January 13, 2008, 4th Philippine International Marathon in Manila on February 24, 2008 and in the Manila Marathon on July 6 also this year.
The late bloomer
Jho engaged into running as a sport only when she was a freshman at the Mapawa NHS, unlike most athletes who start training in their chosen sport while they're younger.
She said in the vernacular, "I started late. I just thought of getting into sport, into running when I reached High School. I haven't even won any medal in the Palarong Pambansa but I often make it as a finalist."
When she graduated from High School, she said she tried her luck to land a slot at the University of Mindanao (UM) track and field varsity team.
"I'm glad I was accepted as a varsity scholar because I really wanted to finish my studies and get a college degree. That's one of the reasons why I got into this sport so I can avail of a scholarship," she shared.
The late bloomer that she is though, Jho at last captured her very first gold medal in the National Private Schools Athletic Association (Prisaa) Finals in 2004. "I was very happy that time," she reminisced.
UM sports director Joaquin "Boy" Sarabia, meanwhile, said: "I think it was her last stint in the National Prisaa that she won a gold. She is indeed a late bloomer."
The five-foot-one trackstar graduated at UM in 2005 with a degree in Bachelor of Science in Commerce, Major in Management.
On the same year, she copped the 42-kilometer National Milo Marathon women's title in Manila at the expense of national team members and veterans. Thus, earning her a spot in the RP national track and field team that holds quarters in Baguio City.
She defended her title in the 2006 National Milo Marathon but she didn't see action in the 2007 edition.
"I didn't compete in Milo last year because I was training for my first SEA Games. I'm glad I got a bronze in Thailand. It's really a great fulfillment on my part having represented the country and won a medal," she added.
She currently holds the national open record of two hours and 48 minutes in full marathon.
Getting personal
Sun.Star Davao (SSD): Why did you take up Management?
Jho-an Flores Banayag (JFB): I want to manage my own business someday.
SSD: How did being an athlete change your life?
JFB: I learned to communicate well and mingle with different kinds of people because I was not like that before. I used to be very shy.
SSD: Did your sport affect your schooling? How?
JFB: Yes, in a good way though. I was able to finish my studies because of my sport.
SSD: So how did you manage your time between school and training?
JFB: I don't train when it's examination time. I usually train on Saturdays and Sundays. I train during weekdays when there are no classes.
SSD: What's your daily routine now as a national athlete?
JFB: My daily workout starts at 5 a.m. to 8 a.m. with a road run then I take a rest. Training resumes at 3 p.m. to 4:30 or 5 p.m. with the easy run or jogging.
SSD: What's your greatest dream as an athlete?
JFB: To be able to compete in the Olympics and win in international marathons.
SSD: What privileges do you have being in the national team?
JFB: I get to go to places here and abroad for free because of the competitions I join. I also avail of free lodging, food and vitamins, among others.
SSD: May I know how much do you receive as allowance being an RP athlete?
JFB: I got a monthly salary of P6,000 since I entered the team. It was increased to P9,000 when I won the bronze in the Thailand SEA Games.
SSD: What are your plans within the next five years?
JFB: I might retire only if I have already competed in the Olympics. I want to win all my international competitions and get married (smiles).
SSD: Who inspires you to dream, to be the best that you can be in your field?
JFB: My family, of course, my boyfriend and people who discourage me.
SSD: What's your greatest achievement as an athlete?
JFB: Winning a bronze in SEA Games, bagging back-to-back titles in National Milo Marathon, sweeping three crowns in a row for a Grand Slam in the Philippine International Marathon and being a recipient of the SKC female athlete of the year award for two straight years.
This Piolo Pascual and Claudine Barretto fan said she believes in the saying that "In every sacrifice, there's a fruitful reward."
Jho has indeed begun reaping a harvest of what she has sown.
