This Sunday, Aug. 10, 2025, nearly 2,000 triathletes from over 40 countries will converge in Cebu for one of the country’s most anticipated races: the Ironman 70.3.
I’ll be joining my ninth edition of this race as part of our relay team called TRIbu CEBU. Three teammates. Three disciplines. Three cities.
Swimming the 1.9-km. stretch across the Mactan Channel is Oliver Moeller. A bodybuilder, former trackster, and celebrity lawyer, Oliver needs no introduction. He’s as comfortable in courtrooms as he is in coral-filled waters.
I’ll take on the 90K bike course, beginning at Mactan Newtown, through Cordova, and across the stunning CCLEX bridge — three loops over the country’s longest and tallest bridge. It’s the Ironman’s version of Cebu’s crown jewel.
The run? Who else but Mary Joy Tabal-Jimenez, Olympian and six-time Milo Marathon queen. She’ll conquer the 21K run, racing back not just to form — but to joy.
Why TRIbu Cebu? “TRI” stands for the three sports: swim, bike, run. But “TRI” also means we represent Cebu’s three major cities: Oliver from Lapu-Lapu, Joy who now heads Mandaue City’s sports office, and myself from Cebu City. Three athletes. Three hometowns. One tribe.
Oliver is no stranger to the Ironman. “My first 70.3 was in 2014,” he says. “It was surreal competing alongside elite athletes on the same course. You feel the energy of the crowd leading up to the gun start.”
For Oliver, the swim is more than just strokes — it’s a celebration of Cebu’s tropical beauty.
“Swimming in Mactan is always a treat,” he says. “Even during the early hours of the day during gun start, the water isn’t freezing (although your nerves might make you feel like it’s colder than it actually is). Seeing all the vibrant coral reefs and lively marine life during your swim makes swimming in Mactan a bucket list item for any budding triathlete.”
For Joy Tabal-Jimenez, this is more than just a race. It’s a return — to the road and to herself.
“It’s been a challenge,” she says of her training. “Between work, traffic and motherhood — there’s barely enough time. But I’m slowly rediscovering my joy in running.”
Most mornings, she finds herself on the treadmill. “It’s hard to run outdoors during weekdays,” she shares. “The traffic and my workday limit my running window. But even with these limits, I still count every mile. Progress is progress, and I’ve learned to be okay with that.”
She’s training for the Taiwan Marathon this October and, on some days, is joined by a special training partner: her daughter, Athena.
“I’m happy that there are times when I get to train with Athena,” Joy says. “She sees me doing something I love, and I hope she learns something valuable from that.”
“I’m not yet at my peak. But I’ve made progress. This journey isn’t just about a race — it’s about reclaiming the joy.”
She smiles, “I’m excited to cross that finish line again. I welcome the muscle pain. The changes in my body. The exhaustion. It’s all part of being a runner. And a mom.”
We swim, we ride, we run. But more than that — we represent Cebu.