Kyle: an Icon of a True Athlete

By: Phoebe Sweet Dianne Cuartero

Entering his second year as an NCLC Blue Dolphin Swimmer, Kyle Bagusto has earned a
huge achievements with his deadly strokes and "heart-strong" spirit, though he said he only
joined the club so that he could learn how to keep himself from water-related disasters.
"I was only 10 years old when Typhoon Ondoy came in our area and my mom had a
thought of me enrolling in a swimming lesson so that I can save myself from water disasters."
His Coach, Mar Joseph Casas started to see his natural gifts and his potential in
participating in different competitions around the country, despite him seeming lack of interest
in sports.
"After a year, coach Mar saw my potential though I still don't feel any passion, so that, I
started not attending trainings and focused only on my school works," he added.
But while Kyle rules his academic life, he felt passionate in swimming and decided to
come back with a new experience that has made him conscious of how much he loves sports.
Afterwards, he started to take part in many contests such as the recently concluded
swimming competition, where he was ranked 4th place in the Philippine National Games in
Cebu City. It also seemed that Kyle is half-aware of his accomplishments when he asked how
many awards does he have and he took a moment and thought before answering.
His success has turned into one of the best swimmers and Kyle is grateful for his coaches
for seeing his potential and keep him pushing to survive his games. He makes a special effort,
through little things, to let his supporters know that he appreciates the time they take to cheer
for him and his team.