SEA Games gold medalist and one of the country’s top female cyclists Jermyn Prado began her long preparation for the 2022 Vietnam Southeast Asian Games.
This is her assurance during the Go For Gold podcast yesterday evening.
Prado is currently doing hard training and conditioning in Nueva Ecija, considered as one of the top training grounds for the national cyclists, to polish her skills for upcoming competitions despite the prevailing COVID-19 situation.
“Ang advice ni Coach Edz sa akin na magensayo pa rin kahit may pandemic kasi para hindi siguro bumaba ang ensayo. Maganda rin talaga mag-ensayo (sa Nueva Ecija) kasi kumpleto talaga siya, may ahon, may lusong, may patag”, Prado said.
Prado also explains that her injury and gaining some weight are the reasons why she did not attend the national trials staged by PHILCYCLING held last month in Clark, Pampanga, where Kate Jasmin Velasco prevailed as the winner in the road race but rest assured she will hopefully make it into the roster for the Vietnam SEAG next year.
Prado, now under the personal guidance of national team coach Edz Hualda is open to join the Go for Gold as her mother team. Hualda assures that they are willing to add Prado on the line-up but it depends on the decision of team owner Jeremy Go, citing that there are no female cyclists in the team.
Prado, a gold medalist in the individual time trial event of the 2019 SEA Games and currently assigned in the frontlines as a soldier athlete for the Philippine Navy, tells about the effects of the ongoing pandemic that hampered her cycling career.
“Malaki talagang epekto kasi una, sabik na sabik sana ako maglaro sa ibang bansa para mas masanay pa at mas maraming matutunan kaso wala tayo magagawa, pandemic pa rin this 2021.”, Prado added.
Lastly, Prado who has been with the national team for 7 years, dreamed of becoming an Olympian in the 2024 Paris someday, with the recent gold medal triumph of Hidilyn Diaz in the 2020 Tokyo Olympics, serves as a inspiration and a big boost to hopefully score more victories in Philippine cycling.
“Yung totoong goal ko talaga gusto ko pong magkaroon ng pangalan ko ng OLY, maging Olympian na sana.”, Prado concluded.
