Coquitlam native Angelo Macaraig is on a mission to fulfill his biggest catch of the year as he competes in the three-day Provincials Swim Meet slated August 15-18 in Kamloops, BC.
With his recent performances in the Regional Championship, the 14- year-old tanker is determined to reach the top, and compete as hard as he can versus the best swimmers in the biggest meet in British Columbia.
For sure, it won’t be a walk in the park challenging those big guns representing the eight regions in BC, so the Grade 9 student will be pressed hard to perform beyond expectation.
In the recently-concluded regional championship, Angelo somehow outshine himself by contending for a total of six events, a feat he never done in the last five years.
Indeed, a great accomplishment for the young Macaraig, who was rewarded with two gold medals, three silvers and a single bronze in four individual and two relay events.
Deedee, Angelo’s dad further elaborates that hard work, dedication and sacrifice were among the three biggest factors in summarizing the success of his son in the 2019 Regional Meet.
“These are the values I’m seeing right now but the battle is not done yet, “says the number one supporter and stage father of Angelo. “It’s the result of time and effort in reaching our goal.”
The elder Macaraig reiterates this week will be the most intense and pressure-packed time for both of them.
“We need to stay focus, physically and mentally in preparation for the big event,” he added.
He knows his son is doing all the necessary preparation in order to attain the biggest target — to reign supreme in the toughest meet of the year.
Angelo is expected to be in full force against his battle-tested rivals in 200m individual medley and 100m backstroke, where he won two gold medals in two consecutive days.
Endurance and resiliency will definitely play a big role in this competition where the young swim sensation proved he can catch up from a mile deficit, judging from a come-from-behind second place finish in the 100 m freestyle finals. (By Alex Mino)