When Chrisia Mae Tajarros initially chased her Olympic dream last year and missed her target, she ran barefoot.
The 13-year-old Eastern Visayas middle-distance runner came back to the Palarong Pambansa 2025 with a vengeance, running to victory in the secondary girls’ 3000-meter race for the first gold medal of the Games—in comfy shoes to boot.
The only thing that would have made her Monday even more perfect was if her barefoot-to-breakthrough story came with a record ending.
“It was a dream to break the record, but coach said it’s fine and I should still be grateful,” Tajarros, the daughter of a fish vendor from Tanauan, Leyte, said in Filipino after crossing the line in 10 minutes and 18.6 seconds.
She broke down in tears after crossing the finish at Ferdinand E. Marcos Memorial Stadium in Laoag City, after improving on her silver medal finish in Cebu last year.
Davao region’s Mea Gey Ninura still holds the standard in the event (10:03.4), which she set when she ruled the 2016 edition of the Palaro.
So dominant was Tarrajos among the 28-strong field that her closest pursuer came 30 seconds behind her. Caraga region’s Mary Mae Magbanua (10:48.4) finished second, trailing immediately after Tajarros burst out of the blocks. Nathalei Miguel of host Ilocos region finished third in 10 minutes and 50.4 seconds.
“I trained for a year, all those sacrifices were worth it. I cried even during practice and I used that silver finish last year as
motivation to get the gold,” said an emotional Tajarros, adding that she nearly didn’t make the qualification due to muscle pain during the regionals.
The dusky incoming Grade 9 from Tanauan National High School in Leyte has been running after big dreams since picking up the sport.
“I want to be in the Olympics someday and I’m willing to put in the work for me to get there,” said Tajarros, a mainstay of the Leyte Sports Academy under coach Damas Oledan.
Another Diaz shines
Tajarros began training with a pair of track shoes after Cebu last year, but still ran barefoot during the Asean Schools Games in Da Nang, Vietnam, where she finished fourth in the 3000m and 1500m.
“I trained her under intense heat up to 11 in the morning because we knew it was going to be extremely hot here,” said Oledan, who comforted a sobbing Tajarros at the finish line.
Meanwhile, another Olympic hopeful flexed his muscles, quite literally. And he carries a familiar name.
Matthew Diaz.
Matthew Diaz lifted 73 kilograms (kg) in the snatch and 93 kgs in the clean and jerk for a personal best 166 kgs to rule the boys’ 48-kg weightlifting contest.
Diaz is the nephew of Hidilyn Diaz Naranjo, the Olympic gold medalist who was present at the sidelines as the tournament director of the demonstration sport.
“Winning this was entirely unexpected,” said the 14-year-old Diaz, the reigning champion in the boys’ 43kg division of the Philippine Sports Commission Batang Pinoy Championships held last November in Puerto Princesa City.
“It was a relief that he got the gold. We were nervous while watching him make those lifts,” said Diaz-Naranjo, who trained her nephew in their facility in Jala-Jala, Rizal.
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Other events saw Calabarzon’s Sam Garcia top the elementary girls discus throw (33.97 meters) and Bicol region’s Courtney Jewel Trangia rule the high school girls category with a 36.72m heave. INQ
