ANGELA Villamil (center) took the gold for the 50-m and 25-m backstroke at the recent Pattaya meet. CONTRIBUTED PHOTO
HO CHI MINH, Vietnam—While other girls her age were partying and swimming leisurely on the beach, 12-year-old Angela Villamil was honing her backstrokes, preparing for another competition.
A 7th grader at the British International School (BIS) in Vietnam, Angela competes for her school at the 39-member Federation of the British International Schools in South East Asia (Fobissea).
Last March 1-5, 2012, at the Fobissea competition held in Pattaya, Thailand, Angela took home the golds for 50-meter and 25-meter backstrokes. She also got a gold medal in football. Athletes from 23 schools from the Philippines, Thailand, Brunei, Malaysia and Vietnam participated in swimming, athletics, football and basketball.
Angela got her first gold in the 50-m backstroke in May 2010 in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, beating seasoned athletes, some of whom were members of national teams in their respective countries. Since then, she has competed in Brunei, Singapore and Thailand with a lot of other talented young swimmers.
Both her parents, Toss and Myla, are athletically inclined. Thus, they are not surprised to see their daughter excelling in sports. Angela’s penchant for swimming could be due to her frequent visits to her mother’s seaside hometown in Mindoro, known for its pristine beaches. Ironically, she learned to swim when the family migrated to Vietnam in July 2009. Her father is an engineer with Intel Vietnam.
New environment
Moving to Ho Chi Minh was a major transition in Angela’s life. She was then in her third grade at the Dominican School in Manila, an honor student.
“She was excited and at the same time apprehensive. It was a new environment, another country with a language barrier,” Myla recalls.
On her interest in swimming, Angela narrates, “Actually, I just joined my neighbors who were having swimming lessons.”
Family moments
Being a swimmer requires intense training. Angela trains regularly with her British swimming coach. For her, it is not just training, but also a time for family bonding.
“After her training, we usually go out. Oftentimes, her younger sister and her dad join her during her practice,” Myla says.
Angela started as a backstroker. She improves as she matures. Her butterfly stroke and freestyle are also improving, making her an all-around swimmer. Her sports also included football, athletics, t-ball and basketball, thus, she is considered a triathlete, Myla relates.
When her coach is unavailable, Angela’s dad coaches her.
However, swimming does not interfere with her normal life as a teenager. Myla, a full-time mom, sees to it that study, swimming and other extra-curricular activities are well-balanced.
“Swimming may be a part of her and could be her career, but it is not her life,” Myla adds. As a family, they find time to spend vacations with lots of outdoor activities like trekking, zip line and even wall climbing. And of course, the beach is an all-time favorite.
Like other youngsters, Angela is often glued to the TV on Friday evenings to watch her favorite shows like America’s Next Top Model, American Idol and Beauty and the Geek.
A future Olympian?
Being Filipino in a school dubbed as a little United Nations, Angela feels that her achievements are not only for herself and her family for the Philippines as well. Even though she is swimming under the auspices of British International School, she remains a proud Pinay at heart.
She knows she has a lot of training to do and hardships to overcome to fulfill her dream—which is to compete in the Olympics as a member of the Philippine Team.
“I want to give glory to myself, my family and my country,” she says.
Young overseas Filipino athletes are dreaming big. And part of this dream is to proudly wear the Philippine tricolor.