ASIAN Para Games 2018 gold medalist Ernie Gawilan couldn’t help but train and stay in shape within the bounds set by the Inter-Agency Task Force for the Management of Emerging Infectious Diseases.
“As of now, I could only wait for instructions from our federation on what training regimen we are allowed to do during the [Covid-19] pandemic,” Gawilan told BusinessMirror. “They [federation] knows what’s good for us athletes.
A veteran of the Rio 2016 Paralympics, Gawilan was born with underdeveloped extremities in Paquibato district in Davao City. He harnessed his training skills in nearby Island Garden City of Samal.
At the moment, the 29-year-old Gawilan continues to make Samal Island as his home base.
“I do outdoor activities, but they’re limited. I swim in the open water, too, and do group training online with my teammates and coaches,” he said.
Swimming in a pool has become scarce since quarantines were implemented last March.
“There are a lot of procedures before you get to swim in an Olympic-size pool here in Davao,” he said. “There are protocols and they are very stricty.”
Gawilan is the first Filipino para swimmer to win gold in the Asian Games in 2018 in Jakarta. He also bagged gold at the Singapore 2015 Southeast Asian Para Games, before earning a ticket to Rio 2016.
He was a favorite at the Philippines 2019 Para Games but the event was canceled because of the pandemic.
Gawilan will be seeing action in the postponed Tokyo Paralympics where he will be the country’s torch bearer. He thanked the Philippine Sports Commission for relentlessly attending to all athletes during the quarantine.