An 11-year-old athlete from Concepcion town in the Province of Iloilo has drawn the crowd’s attention - and admiration - in the 2025 Palarong Pambansa. 

The runner, Trixia Anne Arellano, ran barefoot and clinched the gold medal in the 200-meter event in the Elementary-Girls category on May 27, 2025 in Laoag City, Ilocos Norte.

Aside from the gold medal, she also broke a 17-year-old record of the Palaro by clocking 26.40 seconds, faster than the 26.7 seconds recorded in the 2008 Palaro.

According to Trixia, during Heat 1 of the competition she settled at second place only and sustained a foot injury which made her decide to run on bare foot during the finals.

The technique is not new to her.

She said that even as a child she was trained by her own mother in barefoot running. Her mother, she said, is a former athlete who also ran barefoot.

“Mas masakit po kung naka-sapatos…tumatakbo po ako sa amin na nakapaa sa may dagat,” Trixia said.

The medal haul was special to Trixia because it has served as a gift on her own birthday.

She has also offered the win to her father, a fisherman, and her mother, a plain housewife.

“Yung gold po, yun po yung regalo ko. Sobrang saya ko po. Kahit may lagnat po ako, kinakaya ko,” Trixia added.

On May 28, 2025, Trixia reaped another gold medal in the 100-meter run.