Two athletes gave a race like no other, as Satar Salem and Leyann Ramo of Tri SND Baraccuda became the Filipino champion athletes in the Ironman 70.3 Puerto Princesa Asia Triclub Championship.
From November 10 to 12, Puerto Princesa conducted its Ironman 70.3, gathering different athletes worldwide. Wrapping up the competition, two triathletes from Lanao del Norte successfully bagged the championship title with their exceptional skills.
Salem won as the overall male finisher with a record of 4 hours, 22 minutes, and 25 seconds, while Ramo won as the overall female finisher with a record of 5 hours, 2 minutes, and 56 seconds.
From getting the 17th spot in the same competition last year, Salem has improved his game this year, as he also swept Chinese athlete Junyu Cao and Dutch athlete Eric van der Linden.
Hailing from Lanao del Norte, both champions brought honor to their fellow Moros as they received their awards with a grand prize of sixty thousand pesos.
Along with special awards received by other Tri SND Barracuda athletes, the sports team was able to garner 103,523 points, sweeping the ‘2023 Asia Triclub Champion’ with a grand prize of Php 500,000.
With this win, recognized athletes who participated in the Ironman 70.3 Puerto Princesa are now qualified for the 2024 Ironman 70.3 World Championship to be held in Taupō, New Zealand, from December 14 to 15, including Ramo and Salem.
Without a doubt, good training and a supportive team can motivate any fighter to bring home the glory together.