Before fencing, Richard Gomez used to play this sport as a varsity player
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The multi-awarded actor and now Ormoc mayor talks about the importance of sports especially to the youth.
Actor-turned-politician Richard Gomez's love of sports can be traced back to his student days.
“Well, I graduated from Arellano [University] during my high school days. High school for me is really the most fun part of growing up,” the Ormoc, Leyte mayor said during a guesting on Rise Up Stronger: The Road to NCAA Season 96.
Richard, to this day, remains in touch with some of his classmates in high school.
“I was an athlete for our school. I was a varsity [player], I was a volleyball player during my time in Arellano,” Richard said.
Richard would dabble in various sports even when he was at the peak of his showbiz career as one of the country's top matinee idols.
One sport, though, captivated the multi-awarded actor more than anything.
“The time I tried fencing parang it was second nature for me to play the sport,” recalled Richard.
“So I pursued it and I joined a lot of local tournaments, which qualified me to become part of the national team and I was given the chance to participate in at least five Southeast Asian Games.”
He continued, “This is the reason why I really help a lot of kids and schoolchildren to get into sports. Number one, it teaches them discipline, it takes [them] away from drugs.
“The nice part is if they excel in their sport, they'll be able to compete for the country, if not, they can compete for their school and become a member of the varsity team.”
Sports, according to Richard, taught him to persevere and continuously work hard.
“There are also lessons that you could learn from failures. I joined so many competitions and I did not win all of them,” said Richard.
“It encouraged me to train harder, it made me stronger [and] it made me a better athlete.”
To this day, Richard makes it a point to still fence to keep him sharp and competitive.
“You should continue training and you should continue joining competitions,” he advised young athletes.
“You need to talk a lot to your coach and your teammates, and you have to keep on learning every day for you to get better and prolong your championship status.”
Rise Up Stronger: The Road to NCAA Season 96 airs on Sundays at 5:05 p.m., Saturdays at 4:30 p.m., and Mondays to Fridays at 2:45 p.m. on GTV.
Kapuso abroad can watch Rise Up Stronger: The Road to NCAA Season 96 via GMA Pinoy TV. Visit www.gmapinoytv.com/subscribe for more details.
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