MILO Philippines extended its partnership with Jamie Lim, coach Rio de la Cruz and Japoy Lizardo, thus adding another chapter to their years-long relationship.
Milo will continue to convey the champions’ unique story of “pagpupursige” with the hope of inspiring the next generation of young athletes to persevere in their own “champion journeys.”
“We’re very happy to be extending this partnership with Jamie Lim, Coach Rio and Japoy Lizardo,” said Veronica Cruz, Milo Business Executive Officer and Senior Vice President at Nestle Philippines Inc.
“We believe that they each have personal stories that will serve as inspiration for many young athletes today to ‘pursige’ in achieving lifelong success just like they did,” Cruz said. “As one Milo family, we are proud to give them a platform that allows them to do just that.”
JAMIE LIM
BEING the daughter of basketball legend Avelino “Samboy” Lim and growing up in a family of athletes, it seemed destined for Jamie Lim to become a star karateka.
However, from an early age, both her father and mother, a seasoned lawyer, taught Jamie the importance of choosing her own path and instilled in her the belief that she can always be more than the stereotypical jock.
“I remember, in my preparation for the SEA [Southeast Asian] Games back in 2019, I only had five months of real training as I was already in the last months of my senior year,” Jamie Lim said. “On top of that, I was out of karate for four years so training was twice as rigorous.”
She added: “Although it was difficult, I was able to power through it because I knew that the stakes were also high.”
Jamie Lim won gold at the 2019 SEA Games and graduated Summa Cum Laude at University of the Philippines-Diliman with a degree in BS Mathematics.
End it…end it
COACH RIO
BEFORE Coach Rio became an international marathoner and one of the top running coaches in the country, his road to success was paved from humble beginnings.
Coming from a big family that struggled in putting food on the table, Coach Rio sorely lacked the financial support that most young runners his age needed to pursue a professional career.
But what a young Rio had was an unwavering “pagpupursige” and discipline—and that was enough. He never missed training, even on the days he had no running gear or equipment, and learned early on that he needed to work thrice as hard to achieve his one clear goal: be a successful athlete to provide for his family.
“Time management and determination were key for me,” Coach Rio said. “Even when I was young, my life was all about school and training. I knew what I wanted and I was focused on my goal despite knowing that it would come with a lot of sacrifices
JAPOY LIZARDO
JAPOY LIZARDO started his journey in sports at a Milo Sports Program. At 12 years old and being known as the teenage heartthrob whose face was on every Milo pack, Lizardo recognized the responsibility he had as thousands of other kids were aspiring to be just like him.
This became an important driving factor for Lizardo to “pursige” in succeeding in taekwondo.
Since he wasn’t as tall or built as other athletes his age, he struggled to put on the required weight for his category but he persevered and worked twice as hard in developing his techniques.
He turned his height and weight into an advantage that allowed him to create his signature “Spinning Kick” move that earned him the nickname “The Spinning Kick of Asia.”
Now at 36 and a professional coach himself, Lizardo uses this experience in shaping the next generation of strong-willed athletes and giving them a platform to become an inspiration for the generation after them.