Olympic gold medalist Hidilyn Diaz, Asia’s best pole vaulter Ernest John Obiena, and the Philippine Women’s National Football Team fueled their #ThirstForGold in the recently concluded 31st Southeast Asian Games in Vietnam, with Summit Natural Drinking Water behind their backs with every lift, leap and kick, every step of the way. Summit ambassadors Diaz and Obiena, together with the Filipinas, appeared in a press conference held last April 26, 2022, wherein the brand reiterated its commitment to support them and the rest of the SEA Games-bound Philippine contingent through a partnership with the Philippine Olympic Committee.
Even before Hidilyn and EJ entered the pantheon of Filipino sports icons, Summit has been there to support their respective journeys, the same devotion the brand is now giving the Filipinas.
Hidilyn Diaz has come a long way from being a wildcard weightlifting entry in the 2008 Beijing Games, a silver medal achiever in the 2016 Rio Olympics, and then a gold medalist in the women’s -55kg of the Tokyo Olympiad in 2021. Hidilyn, however, isn’t done yet. The Southeast Asian Games in Hanoi was the beginning of a new Olympic journey, which Hidilyn marked with a 55-kg weightlifting gold at the Hanoi Sports Training and Competition Center, saying the appearance in the regional sports competition was essential in her bid to make it to the Paris Olympiad.
“My journey towards Paris (Olympics) starts here, so this SEA Games gold is very important for me,” said the 31-year-old Diaz of her #ThirstForGold. “Napaka-meaningful nito (SEAG). After winning the gold medal, bumalik pa din ako, nakapag-deliver ng gold medal for the Philippines. Masaya ako na nandito ulet ako sa SEA Games, na i-represent ang Pilipinas.“
Summit, which officially made Diaz one of its ambassadors in 2018, has been supporting the Olympic champion ever since, in terms of training and hydration, as the brand believes in her persistence, motivation, and capacity in achieving a gold. To commemorate Hidilyn’s success story, Summit Natural Drinking Water is launching Summit Labels featuring Hidilyn Diaz in 350ml, 500ml, and 1L formats and Sports Bottles in 500ml format, which you can now get in leading stores nationwide.
Meanwhile, EJ Obiena joined Team Summit after his quick rise in the pole-vaulting scene following various triumphs and record-breaking feats – from the Diamond League to the Olympics and recently in the Vietnam SEA Games, where he smashed his own 2019 record of 5.45 meters with 5.46 to clinch a second straight pole vault gold in the regional meet.
“I’m relieved and happy to win the gold. I came here as a favorite and finally delivered,” said Obiena, his #ThirstForGold visible with his every leap. “Mission accomplished.” Obiena, Team Philippines’ flag-bearer in the SEA Games as a proof of his status as a world-class athlete, looked good obliterating the field in just two leaps, but according to his Italian physiotherapist Antonio Guglietta, the Tokyo Olympian is still just halfway through his full potential in the Hanoi games. Now imagine him in his peak form.
“I think that EJ (will have) a perfect performance in July,” said Guglietta, referring to the World Athletics Championships to be held in Eugene, Oregon in the United States from July 15 to 24, 2022. But before the World Championships, though, the 26-year-old Obiena, who owns the Asian record of 5.93, will compete on May 29 in the Golden Fly Series near Formia, Italy, where he trains.
The Philippine Women’s National Football Team, also known as the “Filipinas” continue to break barriers in their #ThirstForGold. The Filipinas made a historic feat in the AFC Women’s Asian Cup in India earlier this year by reaching the semifinals and qualifying for the FIFA Women’s World Cup for the first time.
The Filipinas may have failed to advance to the gold-medal round of the SEA Games, but they immediately bounced back with a performance billed by their Australian coach Alen Stajcic as the team’s “best” in the biennial meet.
Staring at a 0-1 deficit against Myanmar in the bronze medal match, Sarina Bolden and Quinley Quezada scored two goals in three minutes to snatch the victory for the country to end the country’s 37-year thirst for a medal in the SEA Games.
“It was the best performance we had in this tournament,” said Stajcic. “We showed amazing heart and spirit to the death to get the win. It was a performance to be proud of.” With the support of Summit Natural Drinking Water, the Filipinas look to carry the momentum from their World Cup qualification onto the ASEAN Football Federation women’s championship in Manila to get ready for the 2023 Women’s World Cup jointly hosted by Australia and New Zealand.
Show your support as our athletes #ThirstForGold at the SEA Games! Every purchase of Summit Natural Drinking Water bottle contributes to the training of our athletes taking them one step closer to their goals.
This year, Summit Natural Drinking water also partners with Liv3ly in promoting an active lifestyle and supporting Filipinos as they #ThirstForMore. Liv3ly is a social fitness app to motivate users to move through engaging, experiences, gamification, and rewards. With the app, users can take on running challenges, track records, and compete with other users. Download the Liv3ly app now in Appstore and Google Play to win exciting prizes from Summit! Stay tuned for Summit #ThirstForMore virtual run for more surprises!
To know more, like @SummitNaturalDrinkingWater on Facebook and @summitwaterph on Instagram.
