BACOLOD City – A 10-year-old boy from Barangay Zone 3, Cadiz City grabbed three gold medals in swimming at the paragames of the ongoing Western Visayas Regional Athletic Association (WVRAA) Meet hosted by Negros Occidental and Bacolod City.
Zach Lucas Obsioma is a victim of a rare phocomelia disease. The swimming sensation is a Level 5 student at Special Education (SPED) Training Center in Cadiz City, Negros Occidental. His triple win made him a celebrity at the WVRAA swimming venue – the St. John’s Institute (SJI) in Talisay City.
Obsioma, who has very tiny feet due to Phocomelia syndrome, showed fearlessness during his games on May 3 to 5.
This Max Fermales- and Lyn Rabuya-mentored tanker copped three gold medals in the following:
* 50-meter back stroke on Friday, May 3
* 50-meter breast stroke on Saturday, May 4
* 50-meter free style on Sunday, May 5
Second in the brood of three, Obsioma started to cast interest in swimming only last year.
The late Cherill Ducay, SPED-Cadiz City coordinator, was the one who enticed Zach to venture on swimming rather than on football, his first choice.
Last year, with just more than two months of swimming training, Obsioma prevailed during the Palarong Panlalawigan in Negros Occidental all the way to WVRRA in Aklan and Palarong Pambansa in Marikina City.
Cadiz City’s Mayor Salvador Escalante,Jr. said he was elated with Obsioma’s achievements.
Last year, the local government of Cadiz gifted Obsioma with a laptop after he shone in the Palarong Pambansa paragames./PN
