LEX Nathan Deang needed just one week of open water training to turn an unexpected invitation into a podium finish.
Deang clocked 36 minutes and 53.94 seconds to place third in the boys’ 16-17 Festival 3km category at the 4th Southeast Asia Open Water Swimming Championships.
It was an especially memorable result for Deang, who admitted that competing in the event was never originally part of his plans.
His coach, a former open water swimmer himself, simply invited him to give the discipline a try.
That opportunity eventually led to a bronze-medal finish. “First time ko po dito. Ininvite lang po ako ni coach ko dito for open water,” Deang said.
“I’ve been training for like one week only, and it’s surprising that I got third overall for my age group.”
The result came as a surprise even to Deang, but the experience offered him more than just a place on the podium.
It also gave him the chance to compete alongside swimmers from other countries and build new connections beyond the race.
“It’s very, very exciting, very proud. And it’s very social because I met new friends from Singapore also,” he said.
With his first open water competition now behind him, Deang is already shifting his focus back to his next target earning a spot in the Palarong Pambansa.
After falling just short of qualifying last year, the young swimmer is determined to take another shot.
“Last year, I almost got qualified for Palaro. Now, I will be training hard day and night,” Deang said.
And after turning just a week of preparation into an international bronze medal, Deang now heads into his next challenge with another reason to believe that his hard work can take him further. (Jesus Nathaniel Valdez)
