Last year’s Filipino Times Sports Personality of the Year, Abu Dhabi’s Charles Marelid, has been excelling more in his chosen field of sports.
“After winning the TFT award, I just became more dedicated to the sports and I work even harder to achieve more [successes],” the 18-year-old Filipino-Swedish told The Filipino Times.
Marelid has been winning medals in track and field as a sprinter, competing in international competitions across the Middle East and in Europe.
Being born to a Filipina mother and Swedish father, Marelid is equally proud of his heritage. He said he represents not only his school and club in the competitions he joins into, but also the Philippines and Sweden, saying, “I am working hard every day to get better.”
The young achiever is also elated that his excellence in the sport has inspired many young students to become sprinters like him.
“Being a gold medalist during a track and field conference among American schools in the Middle East, I became a source of inspiration among athletes in the school. There were more athletes who went to the try-outs than the previous years after they saw me win,” he said.
But just like many achievers like him, Charles is not one who sits on his laurel. He is very much aware that to achieve more success as an athlete, one should combine inherent talent with hard work.
“I was honored to win the TFT award as with my other achievements, it helped keep me motivated with myself to do better. But I know this is just the beginning and there’s still a [long] road ahead of me,” he said. (Gelin Castro)
