Ex-swimmer, former boxer linked up in running to clinch first gold in 2025 Palarong Pambansa
LAOAG - From two completely different sports all the way to the podium.
Young runner Chrisia Tajarros, with the guidance of her head coach Damaso Oledan Jr., reigned supreme in the secondary girls' 3000-meter event of 2025 Palarong Pambansa on Monday to become the first gold medalist in the ongoing national multi-sport competition.
Their backgrounds, though, were nowhere near the track.
The 13-year-old Tajarros was previously a swimmer and had undergone lessons at the Leyte Sports Academy.
Through a recommendation from her swimming coach, she met Oledan, himself a former boxing athlete who even had the chance to train with John Riel Casimero, before transitioning to long distance running and eventually, to coaching.
At first, Oledan was hesitant to take Tajarros under his wing. But the latter proved she belongs and together they pulled off a masterful performance to kick things off in Ilocos Norte.
"Sabi ng coach ng swimming, 'Coach, pwede mo ba na mabigyan 'to ng chance?' Nu'ng una parang nagaalangan po ako sa kanya dahil sobrang liit at ang payat," Oledan told GMA News Online.
"Sabi ko alanganin pero sabi ko sige try natin. Nu'ng nagsimula na siyang mag-training sa amin doon na namin nakita na iba talaga 'yung tapang niya."
[The swimming coach said, 'Coach, could maybe you give her a chance?' At first, I was hesitant because she was so small and thin... I said I wasn't sure but that we could give it a try. When she started training with us, that's when we saw, her courage was something else.]
Tajarros and Oledan understood that success would not come overnight as they had to settle for a silver medal in the 2024 Palarong Pambansa in Cebu behind gold medalist Asia Paraase of Lapu-Lapu CIty.
Following that heartbreaking loss, Tajarros and Oledan wasted no time returning to the drawing board, with the latter immediately implementing adjustments to their training regimen.
"Dati nanghinayang siya kasi silver medal lang siya last year," Oledan added.
[She had regrets, because last year she could only get a silver medal.]
One of the first changes came in the form of footwear as unlike her 2024 campaign, where she ran barefoot.
Tajarros began training and competing in spike shoes in preparation for the 2025 edition.
"Malaki 'yung pinagkaiba ng performance niya ngayon kasi iniba namin 'yung training niya para lang masiguro namin na makuha namin 'yung gold medal. Naka-monitor po ako sa oras at sa condition ng bata," Oledan added.
"Nung nakaraang Palarong Pambansa naka-paa pa lang po siya, hindi pa siya naka-spike shoes. Simula po nu'ng pagkatapos ng last Palarong Pambansa nag-train agad kami gamit ang spike shoes."
[There was a big change in her performance because we implemented things that would ensure we could win the gold medal. I'm always monitoring the time and condition of the athletes... In the last Palarong Pambansa she ran barefoot, not in spike shoes. After that ended, we immediately started training with spike shoes.]
Eastern Visayas (Region 8) representative Chrisia Mae Tajarros bags first gold in 2025 Palarong Pambansa May 26, 2025 at the Ferdinand E. Marcos Memorial Stadium in Laoag, Ilocos Norte. BEA MICALLER/GMA Integrated News
Tajarros, for her part, said all sacrifices were worth it as they have now achieved what they have been preparing for the past year. But this is only the beginning for Tajarros as she sets her sights on a bigger stage.
"Nagpapasalamat po ako kay God kasi narinig niya po 'yung panalangin ko at 'yung mga sacrifices ko sa training. Minsan po kasi sa training naiiyak rin po ako pero ginagawa ko po 'yun na motivation para makuha 'yung gintong medalya sa Palarong Pambansa," she said.
"Pangarap ko po 'yung Olympics para po matulungan 'yung pamilya ko."
[I thank God for hearing my prayers and seeing my sacrifices in training. Sometimes I cry even in training but I use that as motivation to win the gold medal in the Palarong Pambansa... It's my dream to reach the Olympics to be able to help my family.]
—JMB, GMA Integrated News
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