NAGOYA — Ariel Joseph “Arjay” Alegarbes, who has attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder, dyslexia and asthma, tried athletics, boccia, and long jump before finding his lofty place in swimming.
He took up the sport at 12. A decade later, he became an Asian Para Games champion.
“I tried athletics, bocce, and long jump. But I chose swimming because I’m small and I have asthma,” he said.
A person with dyslexia can find reading, writing, and spelling difficult, often involving challenges in connecting speech sounds with letters and letter combinations.
In the pool, Mr. Alegarbes is an unstoppable force.
On Tuesday night, the 22-year-old from Victorias City, Negros Occidental, captured the men’s 100-meter backstroke S14 title in his Games debut, delivering the Philippines’ second gold medal in Aichi-Nagoya.
Mr. Alegarbes clocked one minute and 1.56 seconds at the Rainbow Pool of the Nagoya City General Gymnasium, edging South Korea’s Sungho Kang by just five hundredths of a second. Mr. Kang took silver in 1:01.61, while Thailand’s Natirat Meeprom claimed bronze in 1:02.08.
His breakthrough followed Ernie Gawilan’s victory in the men’s 400-meter freestyle S7 on Monday, giving Philippine swimming both of the country’s gold medals so far.
“I never expected this. Honestly, this is a dream come true,” Mr. Alegarbes said. “A few years ago, I promised my coach and my entire family that I would win a gold medal at the Asian Para Games, especially for my country. I did this for them and for all the people here.”
That promise fueled months of demanding training at ULTRA, where Mr. Alegarbes worked with his coaches to prepare for Nagoya.
“Honestly, over the last few months, I’ve been training very hard,” he said. “I’ve been working really hard because I need to push my limits. My coaches have helped me.”
He entered the final with the second-fastest time in the morning heats before beating a field that included top qualifier Mr. Meeprom.
The triumph also carried a personal dedication to a cousin whose memory he brought to the Games.
“I dedicate this to my country, my team, my coaches, my fellow Filipinos, and especially my cousin, Manang Lenlen,” he said. “My cousin passed away this year, and we were very close.”
With the 100-meter butterfly and 200-meter individual medley still on his schedule, Mr. Alegarbes hopes to build on his golden debut, drawing strength from his faith and the people behind him.
“I just focus, concentrate, pray to God, and think about my team, coaches, and family.”
Beyond Nagoya, he has another dream to pursue.
“Honestly, it’s a simple one. I want to go to the Paralympics with my coaches and my team.” — Philippine Sports Commission