Story & photos by Ronald Rey M. de los Reyes
IF two compelling forces are destined to come together, then let fear perturb all adversaries as they bring to the fray an unstoppable and relentless fury. This holds true for both Ford Philippines, a mighty legion that emerged third in last year’s overall local car sales, and Forza Triathlon, a fierce competitor in the realm of endurance.
Now, joining together for the second year, these two powers vie for yet another valiant race to the finish.
“We are extremely proud of our partnership with the Ford Forza Triathlon team and honored to share this journey with them. The team has been training hard and was recognized with multiple team wins and accomplishments in 2015, proving how they are Built Ford Tough,” said Minnie Valencia-Bustamante, vice president of marketing and sales, Ford Philippines.
“This 2016 Team Ford Forza is refueled to doing more, achieve more and inspire more,” she added.
At the helm of this gutsy squad is team captain and businessman Gianluca Guidicelli.
“We started on the idea of getting together and doing something as a team to improve the quality of the sport in the Philippines,” he shared in a speech at the B Hotel in Quezon City. He added: “Soon we found a great opportunity to partner with Ford and we really embraced each other, as we have a lot in common as far as vision goes.”
With him on this brave journey is the 15-man Ford Forza Triathlon Team, which includes Matteo Guidicelli, Giorgia Guidicelli, Paolo Guidicelli, Claudia Tagle, Stefano Marcelo, Ivan Carapiet, Dyan Castillejo, Victor Basa, Atty. Joey Reyes, Elmo Clarabal and Jomer Lim.
This 2016 they welcome three new members to their powerhouse lineup: pro-athletes Maria Hodges, Joseph Miller and Glenn Gonzalez.
“We at Ford are very passionate about our class-leading and built Ford tough vehicles that match various lifestyles. We found a very compelling association with team Ford Forza, whose members are just as passionate, capable and versatile with the sport and the various lifestyles that they represent,” said Valencia-Bustamante, when they first forged the partnership last year.
Through the partnership, Ford continues to help mobilize the Ford Forza Triathlon team with its vehicle offerings. In fact, Team Ford Forza has already etched their mark globally, bringing their level of competitiveness to the world stage. In 2015 alone, Gianluca, Jomer, Giorgia, Matteo and Ivan earned the prestigious title of IronMan Silver All World Athlete, a distinguished award that recognizes the triathletes in the top 5 percent of their respective age groups for their hard work, dedication and performance in IronMan and IronMan 70.3 events.
The past year was also a highlight in the team’s career, with Gianluca and Jomer’s finishes at the IronMan Taiwan and IronMan Arizona, as well as Glenn’s remarkable performance, which gained him one of the most prestigious salutes in IM Races in the world.
Other notable wins were Dyan and Elmo’s first-place finishes at the Safeguard 5150 race Bohol and Giorgia’s first-place finish at the Century Tuna 70.3 race in Subic.
“The year 2015 was the beginning of Ford Forza team’s amazing year of achievements. This 2016 we will work and race harder, tougher and happier,” their team captain conveyed.
Driven by an insatiable winner’s mentality, which pushes them to “Go Further,” the Ford Forza Triathlon team is battle-ready for another strong year as they paddle their feet, push the pedal and muscle their way to the finish line.
Ford Forza gets to face fire and ice in these upcoming competitions: Xterra Malaysia and Xterra Asia-Pacific Tour Championship on May 7, Xterra Tahiti on May 14; Giro D’Luca in Bohol from May 20 to 22; 5150 Subic on June 5; IronMan 70.3 in Victoria, Canada, on June 12; IronMan 70.3 Asia-Pacific Championship in Cebu on August 7; Mount Mayon Triathlon on August 14; Xterra Japan on August 27; Xterra Korea on September 3; IronMan 70.3 World Championship on September 4, Maui Xterra World Championship on October 23; 5150 Bohol on November 6; and IronMan 70.3 Thailand on November 27.
As ferocious as they are, these two forces seem to be forged not by man alone, but by one Supreme Being.
Image credits: Ronald Rey M. de los Reyes