Filipino pole vault athlete Ernest John “EJ” Obiena made multiple feats at the 23rd Asian Athletics Championships (AAC), setting his personal best, a national record, and the AAC record previously set in 1993.
The 23-year-old competed in Doha, Qatar and bettered the 26-year-old championship record of 5.70 meters made by Kazakhstan’s Grigoriy Yegorov in 1993 in Manila.
The University of Santo Tomas engineering student cleared the pole at 5.71 meters to set a new championship record. The feat also became Obiena’s new personal best and bested the national record of 5.55m which he himself set at the 2016 Singapore Open Athletics Championship.
EJ Obiena went on social media to highlight the value of his new achievement saying, the “Asian Championship 2019 in Doha, Qatar is one to remember. Exactly 1 year and 1 month from my first competition since ACL injury. I am eternally grateful for everyone who have made this happen. You are my MVP!” referring to his injury that discouraged the young athlete from continuing his sports career.
“It was definitely not easy! It took a lot and felt like hell sometimes. There have been times that I have lost hope. There are times that I have been frustrated. There have been a lot of heart breaks and pain in this journey. It was a piece of work to say the least. All that was endurable because I have been surrounded by people who believe in me. This Win is not just for me,” added Obiena as he identified the people who have helped him get back on track.
“Always flying but eternally grounded” EJ Obiena capped his post.
Show EJ Obiena some love in the comments below and send cheers to our Filipino pole vault record holder!
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