"I AM very happy because I know in myself that I have accomplished my goal of breaking the Palaro record."
This was what Sophia Rose Garra, incoming Grade 6 at De La Salle Araneta University of the National Capital Region (NCR), said after she erased the 18-year-old record in the 100 LC-Meter Backstroke in the Swimming Elementary Division at the Palarong Pambansa 2024.
Aside from the 100-Meter Backstroke event, Sophia also erased the record of Dorothy Grace Ong of NCR in the 50-Meter Backstroke in 2006.
Sophia's record breaking performances also include breaking their team's previous records in the 200-Meter Medley Relay and 400-Meter Relay.
Determined to break the record, Sophia's training for the National Games was intense.
"I train seven times a week and sometimes in the afternoon, then before the games, we have a camp for one week, training in the morning and afternoon," she said.
Sophia plans to continue her swimming career to represent the Philippines in many more swimming competitions. (Jobeth Dick Husay, NWSSU intern)
