Cover Filipino swimmer Angel Otom shares her thoughts on her participation at the upcoming Paralympic Games (Photo: Angel Otom and Philippine Sports Commission; stylized by Angela Nicole Guiral)
Filipino swimmer Angel Otom shares her thoughts on her participation at the upcoming Paralympic Games (Photo: Angel Otom and Philippine Sports Commission; stylized by Angela Nicole Guiral)
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The French Embassy launched an Olympics Sports Hub to celebrate the start of the Paris 2024 Olympic and Paralympic Games, with our Paralympians in attendance
To celebrate the start of the Paris 2024 Olympic and Paralympic Games, the Embassy of France to the Philippines and Micronesia opened an Olympics Sports Hub at SM Mall of Asia last July 13 and 14. Our Paralympians and guests participated in exciting multisport activities and enjoyed a food fair featuring French delicacies.
French Ambassador Her Excellency Marie Fontanel also joined in the activities. “Following the remarkable success of the Torch Relay in April and the Goût de France gastronomic festival in June, this weekend is an opportunity to combine sport and gastronomy, two important facets of French culture that we are proud to share with you,” she says.
She also wished the Filipino athletes all the best for the Games. “I hope they will feel at home the way I do feel at home in your country in the Philippines.”
More from Tatler: Meet the 22 Filipino athletes set to compete at the Paris 2024 Olympics
Above Guests pose for a photo during the launch of ‘On the Road to Paris 2024 - Olympics Sports Hub and French Street Food Fair’ at SM Mall of Asia in Pasay City
Guests pose for a photo during the launch of ‘On the Road to Paris 2024 - Olympics Sports Hub and French Street Food Fair’ at SM Mall of Asia in Pasay City
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Philippine Sports Commission Chairman Richard Bachmann, SM Supermalls Executive Vice President for Marketing Joaquin San Agustin, Philippine Paralympic Committee Chair Secretary General Goody Custodio, and Decathlon Philippines CEO Hathaipat Theintangpiriya accompanied her in the festivities.
As anticipation builds, the fervent passion of Filipino athletes is expected to continue their proud history of achievements.
Filipino swimmer Angel Otom shares this determination and enthusiasm about her first Paralympic Games. “I’m super excited because it’s my first time,” Otom says.
Since February 2024, Angel has been training rigorously at Ultra Pasig (The Philippine Institute of Sports Complex in Pasig City). “I already have a dorm, we’re staying in already. We still have a few months to train,” she shares. “After that, when we arrive in Paris, we still have one month of training.”
Related: 6 Filipino paralympic athletes competing in the 2024 Paris Paralympic Games
The young swimmer hopes to inspire people with disabilities (PWDs) and younger athletes. “Since this is my first time and I’m only 21 years old, already participating, I want to tell others: don’t lose hope and always trust yourself.”
Furthermore, she emphasised the importance of enjoyment in sports. “The most important thing in sports is that you’re having fun in what you’re doing,” she says.
Angel Otom’s story exemplifies perseverance and passion, reflecting the spirit of the Olympic and Paralympic Games and the broader celebration of sports and culture.
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Angela Nicole Regis Guiral is a digital editor at Tatler Philippines. She studied journalism and has since written features that look closely at how culture, lifestyle and social impact converge, while occasionally wandering into the worlds of style and travel.
