The 1st Robben Island Filipino Swim | Good luck Betsy Medalla and Julian Valencia!
Good luck to Coach Betsy Medalla and Coach Julian Valencia! They will swim 7.2 kilometers from the shores of Robben Island to the suburb of Bloubergstrand in Cape Town, South Africa. They will be the first Filipino’s (and Asian!) to do so and the best part is, it’s all for a good cause!
Note : Image from Coach Julian and Coach Betsy’s facebook.
Dear Friends,
With all the bad news in politics these days, it brings me considerable pleasure to be the bearer of some “feel good” news FOR A CHANGE.
On February 9, 2014, two Filipinos will make a historic open water swim in Cape Town, South Africa. Entitled “A Rainbow of Hope – a Celebration of Philippine-South African Friendship”, Betsy Medalla and Julian Valencia will brave shark-infested waters and temperatures ranging from 12 to 15 degrees Celsius and swim 7.2 kilometers from the shores of Robben Island to the suburb of Bloubergstrand in Cape Town. The is an event that I am organizing, together with my good mate, Honorary Consul of the Philippines in Cape Town, Steven Chaimowitz.
Over 400 people have made the Robben Island swim since 1899. However, this will be the first time that Filipinos—or Asians, for that matter—will do it. To be recognized as an official Robben Island swim, Medalla and Valencia will only be allowed to wear standard competition swimsuits and goggles. Upon completion, they will receive certificates from the Cape Long Distance Swimming Association.
Lead swimmer Medalla is a 44-year-old mother of two, a former member of the Philippine National Swim Team, and an accomplished tri-athlete swim coach. Secondary swimmer Julian Valencia is 40-years-old, an age-group tri-athlete and runner, and a former member of the UP Varsity Swimming Team. He has competed internationally including the Cobra Ironman 70.3 CamSur and the New York City ING Marathon and several local long distance swimming events. Medalla and Valencia will fly to Cape Town on February 3 to begin cold water endurance training at the Seapoint Olympic Pool.
The swim will be a gesture of thanks to South Africans for their help after Supertyphoon Yolanda and to commemorate the life of the late President Nelson Mandela, who passed away on December 5, 2013. The pro-democracy icon was imprisoned for 27 years, 18 of those in solitary confinement and hard labor on Robben island, along with other black opposition leaders. Today, the place is an international symbol of freedom and equality and has been declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
In November, Steven and I and Dr. Butch Ong organized the first Philippine–South African humanitarian mission for typhoon-ravaged Leyte province. Composed of the Philippine Coast Guard, private emergency response unit Rescue Team 926, Inc., and The Gift of the Givers Foundation, South Africa’s biggest and most active humanitarian organization, the project saw the deployment of 50 South African doctors and nurses, alongside Filipino medical personnel, to areas devastated by Yolanda and the donation of over 10 ten tons of relief goods and equipment.
The Robben Island swim will also raise funds for the programs of Rescue 926 Inc and the Gift of the Givers for the rehabilitation and rebuilding of communities in and around Leyte province.
Let us wish Betsy and Julian the best of luck in their historic endeavour. This is a Filipino FIRST! God bless the Philippines. Mabuhay po ang Pilipino!
Buddy
