The decorated athlete fought against adversity when she was diagnosed with Polio at age 6. Paralyzed from the waist down, her family made the hard decision to move her to Bahay Mapagmahal – Philippine Orthopedic Center, a place for children with disabilities in Manila where she was exposed to sports and music as part of its rehabilitation program.
PSC Chairman William Ramirez lauds Dumapong-Ancheta’s exemplary character and describes her as an inspiration for fellow Filipinos going through hardships.
“Adeline is proof that strength comes from within and it conquers any obstacle. She leaped to glory by becoming the first Filipina to win a Paralympic medal when she won bronze at the 2000 Summer Paralympics. It’s turning pain into power, a beacon of hope for all of us,” said Ramirez.
PSC Commissioner and Women-in-Sports (WIS) oversight Celia H. Kiram also shares that “like the current COVID-19 pandemic which can cause life-changing state and conditions of people, incurring physical disability is also a very challenging hurdle to take on. But both pandemic and physical disabilities are barriers that we can overcome.”
Kiram says that the sports agency aims to raise social awareness about para-sports and motivate Filipinos regardless of gender to pursue their dreams.
Dumapong-Ancheta’s coach, bemedaled powerlifter Antonio Taguibao gives the online audience some briefing on the sport of powerlifting, its difference from weightlifting, and some useful techniques.
Taguibao is the only Filipino to have clinched a World Masters’ Championship title for four consecutive years.
