Kalis athletes’ fuel for fire on the toughest day of the competition
BY JANNIELYN ANN BIGTAS
Grind, suffer, fuel and repeat. That’s how the athletes conquered the toughest day of Kalis Games 2019.
With two workouts done from day one, the athletes came in a bit beaten but still unshaken on day two, proving they are unstoppable with goals already set for all three WODs on the second day.
The music was up, the floor was spectacularly lit and the whole Kalis community was electrified as the athletes took on their heats in the “Apolinario,” “Bakunawa” and “Habagat” WODs.
Every athlete has their own strategy and goal to step up their game each time they take the WOD floor, but what really keeps them going to aim high?
Currently on the top spot of the Intermediate Female category is Erika Camacho of Guam, she shares she almost quit CrossFit when she was among the last to finish in a competition she joined last year.
This failure served as a lesson and a reminder to do better, it fueled a breakthrough in her life, realizing she has to train harder and better.
Erika saw Kalis Games as a great opportunity to showcase the upshot of all the hard work she has done to pick herself up from the hard fall.
“That point of my life last year definitely fired me up and I want to be better, I feel a lot better. That was a turning point last year and definitely want to show it here [Kalis],” Erika says.
As a Kalis first-timer, Erika was surprised with the experience and treatment she’s been getting in Asia’s first licensed CrossFit event, sharing how the organization made her feel like some kind of celebrity.
“I’ve never been in an organization that’s so organized, they did a really great job. I never felt like this I felt famous it’s a good experience,” she shares.
Consistently fighting his way up the leaderboard is Mark Go from the Philippines, he shares his secret to making it up there “I set my own goal I don’t pay attention to others.”
He adds, “Just believe on what you can do and when you’re out there just push really hard.”
Mark says he stopped joining competitions for two years, but the Kalis Games made him want to return to the competition floor and test his limits as a CrossFit athlete once again.
Whenever Mark is starting to lose grip of his strength in the middle of a workout he remembers the tough times he withstood the past few months — two deaths in the family and personal issues.
“I’ve been through a lot for the past three, four months, two deaths in the family, personal issues so that’s actually my fuel. I use those as fuel for my training,” Mark shares.
Training and joining Kalis Games has been one of Mark’s pillars of strength when he was suffering from pain.
He would tell himself that “more painful things have happened to you, if you can survive that then you can survive this.”
2018 Intermediate champion Daniel Dimaculangan who made it to the RX Male competition this year through the wild card, says this year he has “no expectations.”
For his second year in the Kalis Games and for someone who moved up the category ladder, Daniel wants this competition to serve as a bridge to his improvement as an athlete.
With more competitive opponents from all over the world vying to stand on the podium this year, Daniel says Kalis is a great platform to see his own “loopholes” and things he has to work on.
Daniel, who is currently on the 26th spot, remains to be a fan favorite, saying this boosts his confidence” making him feel that Kalis, more than a competition, is a growing community.
He shares the same values with his brother, Zaki Dimaculangan, who is competing in the Teens 15-17 Male Category.
Despite running last in his category, Zaki isn’t losing the zest to push harder, wanting to become an inspiration to make ripple effects to other young aspiring CrossFit athletes.
“I want to be some sort of light to others who are also wishing to compete in the following years,” Zaki says.
What fuels the athletes to power through the WODs?