Homegrown and Davao City-raised athletes ended 2025 with full hearts and tired bodies, grateful not only for the medals and milestones they achieved but also for the health, family, and second chances that kept them grounded throughout a demanding year of training and competition.
Their stories reveal a shared thread: resilience. From Southeast Asian Games podium finishes to school-based leagues and international debuts, these Dabawenyos carried the city’s colors across the region while navigating academic loads, injuries avoided and endured, and personal struggles often unseen outside the arena.
For judoka Chino Sy Tancontian, who captured gold in the 33rd SEA Games and topped international sambo tournaments, gratitude began with survival and growth. He balanced studies, personal challenges, and elite competition, and finished the year healthy and wiser. “Sobrang thankful lang rin po ako naka tagos ako for this year with a healthy body and a lot more experience (I am very thankful that I was able to get through this year with a healthy body and with much more experience),” the 25-year-old Tancontian told SunStar Davao in a Messenger interview, noting he plans to push harder as Olympic qualification points open in 2026.
Baseball standout James Vincent Nisnisan, 20, who helped deliver SEA Games gold for the Philippines, described the year as a blessing-filled rookie campaign. Competing internationally while staying injury-free and celebrating the holidays with family ranked just as important as medals. “I am grateful to the Lord for the many opportunities and blessings,” he said, thankful as well for coaches and supporters who believed in him long before box scores did.
Marathoner Arlan Arbois Jr., who seized a SEA Games silver medal after three grueling months of training that continued even through storms, called the result a meaningful reward for sacrifice. His eyes are now fixed on a bigger target: breaking the Philippine record next year. “Mas pagpupursigihan ko pa para ma-achieve po namin ang goal (I will work even harder so that we can achieve our goal),” he said
Distance runner Sonny Wagdos, 32, also carried gratitude into the new year. He celebrated a SEA Games 5,000-meter run bronze and the blessing of finishing the season injury-free despite juggling military schooling and training. With the Tokyo Marathon ahead in March, he has kept training “para dli mag back to zero (to avoid going back to square one)” driven by a desire to surpass long-standing marks.
Sambo champion Sydney Sy Tancontian echoed that mixture of triumph and reflection. Each win carried lessons; each setback did too. She expressed gratitude not only for medals across four major international meets, but also for the wisdom that came with the year’s struggles. She looks to 2026 with purpose, especially with the Philippines hosting the Asian Sambo Championship. That event, along with the elusive world title, stands high on her priority list as she works “to propagate sambo more” and deliver strong results for the country.
Open-water swimmer Joshua Raphael del Rio, 22, who helped Ateneo secure its 10th straight UAAP men’s swimming crown before competing in the SEA Games, credited faith and guidance for getting him safely through a demanding training journey. Next year, he intends to refine his habits, stay healthy, and push himself harder while balancing academics. A deeper field of competitors, he said, motivates him “to aim for excellence.”
Two young Palarong Pambansa and Asean Schools Games basketball gold medalists, Matt Cayetano and John Repompo of Ateneo de Davao University, put relationships at the center of their gratitude. They thanked teammates, coaches, and families for standing with them through challenges. Both see 2026 as a year to build confidence, lead their squads to more wins, and chase a championship run on the national stage.
For Ateneo de Manila University swimmer Paolo Miguel Labanon, the year tested his adaptability as he adjusted to a new environment. Support from family and mentors sustained him, he said. The former Mapua Malayan Colleges Mindanao standout aims to enter 2026 more focused and mentally stronger, determined to balance academics and performance while making those who believe in him proud.
Fellow swimmer Ivo Nikolai Enot called 2025 “a wild ride” — a mix of missed opportunities and personal wins, including meeting the qualifying time standard for the SEA Games and finishing the year with second honors in school. He intends to return next year as “an improved version” of himself, ready to seize new openings and prove his competitive hunger.
Sixteen-year-old archer Abigail Lim, who swept six gold medals in the girls’ 17-under compound division of Batang Pinoy 2025 after earning only a silver and bronze the previous year, viewed 2025 as a season of lessons that built resilience. She plans to carry those learnings forward as she works harder, strengthens her focus, and narrows the gap between dreams and performance in 2026.
Their goals differ. Their gratitude does not.
These Dabawenyo athletes are aware that medals tell only part of the story. Behind each podium finish are morning alarms, long travel days, uncertain rosters, homesickness, and training sessions carried on even through storms. Behind each smile in victory are parents who drive, coaches who push, teammates who lift, and communities that cheer from afar.
In 2025, they delivered pride to Davao and the Philippines. Next year offers another chance to train harder, compete better, and represent their roots with pride.
For now, they pause, give thanks, and lace up again. MLSA