Philippine PWD-led dragon boat team breathes new hope into disabled athletes

Basketball was Kent Tumangan's first love, but it was also the reason behind his most devastating and life-altering injury.

When he injured his right leg at 19, Kent said they thought it was a normal injury, and settled with having healing massages. But months later, he could no longer stand the pain.

"Lumala na. Lumaki na yung paa ko," he recalled during an episode in Brigada.

When he went back to the doctor, they told him that there was a tumor in his knee and that his leg had to be amputated.

"Hindi ako makapaniwala. 'Hindi to totoo, ma, 'wag muna, ma'," he remembered saying.

The ordeal was far from easy for Kent. Struggling with doing things that used to be as easy as breathing for him sank his spirits.

"Yung ginagawa mo noon na simple lang, hindi mo na magawa ngayon. Katulad ng maligo ka, kailangan mo na ng assist. Kumakain, hindi mo na makadala ng plato. 'Di na ako lumalabas ng kwarto kasi, nasa bahay lang ako," he said.

But his life changed when he discovered PADS Adaptive Dragon Boat Team.

Here, all members have a form of disability, be it deafness or polio, and some are even amputees like Kent — but that did not stop them from performing well in the sport.

The team even won the first Para-Dragon Boat Competition of the International Dragon Boat Federation (IDBF) World Dragon Boat Racing Championships in Pattaya, Thailand in August.

In this event, the team set the world record as the first Paradragon World Champion.

After joining, Kent started becoming confident with himself again and was able to start the journey of self-acceptance.

"Nabago yung buhay ko sa dragon boat kasi binalik nito ang kumpyansa ko, na hindi na mahiya sa tao, hindi na mahiya sa labas. Kasi at first mahiyain talaga, hindi ko pa talaga tanggap na naging ganito ako," Kent said.

The team manager, John Paul Maunes, said that the team members' disability does not matter when in the boat.

"Sa boat kasi, you cannot determine who's disabled and who's not. When they cross the finish line, pagbaba na ng mga paddlers, nagugulat yung mga tao and other teams na nauunahan sila ng team. I think that's the message we want to bring into the community, na disability does not define you," he said.

He added that they make sure to provide a solid support system for the team, even hiring a sign language interpreter for their deaf members.

They also have a tough training regimen for them — everyone has to work hard.

The sport breathed new hope into its members, who are determined to stick with it despite not earning anything from it.

What they gain is something no money can buy.

"Wala man kaming kinikita dito, pero puso namin... passion nalang to. Parang recreational nalang namin, para may ginagawa kami, saka ma-proud ka sa sarili mo," Kent said.

Eventually, Kent was able to let go of his first love, basketball, and embrace his present.

"Dati pangarap kong maging basketball player pero wala, kinuha na. Ngayon gusto kong maging team captain ng dragon boat," he said.

—Angelica Y. Yang/JCB, GMA News