CEBUANO and national team member Andrew Kim Remolino starts the year with a tough challenge as he figures in a stacked field against the country’s top standard distance athletes in the National Age Group Triathlon (NAGT) 2019 Subic Leg on Jan. 27 in Subic Bay.

The 18-year-old Remolino of Go For Gold Triathlon Team will share the 1.5-kilometer swim, 40K bike and 10K run course with some of the male heavyweights like the reigning two-time Southeast Asian (SEA) Games gold medalist Nikko Huelgas and SEA Games silver medalist John Chicano.

Also in the elite field are Julius Constantino, Mark Hosana, Edward Macalalad, Bohol’s Paul Jumamil and Cebu’s Jorry Ycong of Rider Omega Tri Team.

The Grade 12 student of Paref Springdale School Remolino did not take a rest on the holiday season and is coming off a three-day training camp in the City of Naga, southern Cebu.

“We did all our preparation for the coming race. Right now we just think positive and hopefully will get the goal to be on top,” said Roland Remolino, the coach and father of Andrew Kim.

The older Remolino admits that it’s going to be a tough task, but they believe in the process.

“I’m thinking positive on the outcome because we followed the process so that on race day he will be in top shape,” he said, adding that they had continuous training for the past six weeks.

Andrew Kim recently shifted to the standard distance after racing in the sprint distance for the past years.

“It’s a challenge for him because he just shifted to standard distance. But we like the challenge because it makes the athlete grow and improve,” he said.

Aside from the NAGT, the younger Remolino is set to compete in the ASTC Asian Triathlon Championship on June 20 to 23 in South Korea, which is one of the qualifiers for the 30th SEA Games set in December in the Philippines. (RSC)