Liznie Delfino, a young runner from Bohol, brought honor to the province and the country after winning the silver medal in the 15th Southeast Asian Youth Athletics Championship in Thailand.
Delfino, who hails from Brgy. Landican, Baclayon, Bohol, finished second in the 2,000m steeplechase U-18 category, clocking 7:32.12 behind Vietnam’s Nguyen Thi Thuy, who posted 7:28.37.
The 17-year-old Delfino was the only athlete from Bohol who competed in the biennial event, which featured more than 300 participants from 11 countries in the region.
Delfino is a product of the grassroots development program for athletics spearheaded by the Provincial Youth Development Office of Bohol (PYDO).
She has been training under the guidance of PYDO coaches since she was 12 years old, and has shown remarkable talent and dedication in the sport.
Delfino has also won several medals in local and national competitions, such as the Batang Pinoy 2022, the 2023 PATAFA National Championships, and the 2023 CVIRAA.
Delfino expressed her gratitude to her coaches, family, and supporters for helping her achieve her dream of representing the country in an international stage.
She also said that she hopes to inspire other young Boholanos to pursue their passion and excel in their chosen fields.
Delfino’s silver medal is one of the 14 medals that the Philippine team bagged in the SEA Youth Athletics Championship, which also included four golds and nine bronzes.
The Philippine team ranked fourth overall in the medal tally, behind Thailand, Vietnam, and Indonesia.