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Joyce
Jimenez |
IT has been five years since the very first
Nivea Celebrity and Media Sportsfest was held on the island of
Boracay. Over the years, this activity, where stars, broadcast and
print journalists, and brand executives share a weekend of frolic
and camaraderie through fun games and aqua sports
activities—organized by Marilen Nuñez’s LEN Plus—has
transferred to different locations like Palawan, Bohol and Camarines
Sur.
Last weekend, we took time off from our busy
schedules to reconnect and renew friendships that were established
during the past fun games and to recharge our energies at the
exclusive Pearl Farm Beach Resort in Davao.
The big group had to travel by plane, van and
ferryboat to reach the island, but the moment we were settled in our
rooms by the sea, time literally stood still and even mobile phones
were not necessities that weekend.
Dividing the participants into five groups,
representing the five categories of the Nivea brands (Sun, Men,
Visage, Body, Baby) each group was assigned to different colors.
Girl power was given focus this year, with two groups having women
as team captains.
Interestingly, the event saw former lovers
reminiscing about their past. Alessandra de Rossi was spotted
several times in the loving arms of former boyfriend Jeremy Marquez,
but on the final night, she appeared to be letting out her woes to
Jeremy’s dad Joey. Paolo Contis also seemed cordial with
ex-girlfriend Bubbles Paraiso, who always made fashion statements
every time she showed up in the events. Michelle Madrigal also had a
few sweet moment with former boyfriend Jay Aquitania.
This year, Nivea invited Amazing Race Asia
personalities like Marc Nelson, Rovilson Fernandez (who are touted
as the strongest contender when the season ends next month),
Thailand’s Paula Taylor and Malaysia’s Vanessa Chong to join the
fun and share their expertise. Nelson and Taylor were inseparable
the whole time, and the two must’ve found love in their Amazing
Race adventure.
It was good that this year, the organizers
decided to bring back the fun games because last year in Camarines
Sur, wakeboarding was the only featured sport and not everyone loved
it. Teamwork is always the key during these games and strategies
usually weigh more than size, shape, weight or height.
Unfortunately some games had to be stopped
because these were marred by injuries—an exhausted Joyce Jimenez
collapsing at the finish line after a grueling swim; actor Jordan
Herrera and beauty queen Maggie Wilson suffering cuts from the many
corals lying in the shallow waters of Manipalo island, fitness
expert Reema Chanco had wounds from jelly fish bites and Antonio
Aquitania was stung by a sea urchin.
It took a while for the medics of the resort to
arrive, something that the place should be prepared with since they
knew that this was to be a sports competition. In the end, the Pink
team, representing Nivea Visage and composed mostly of women, lorded
it over their taller, faster and more muscled competitors. The
winners went home with the latest iPOD nano plus some other
giveaways.
Kudos to the event’s sportsmaster Brad Turvey
who surely tried hard to put everything together even if he was met
with complaints from some really intense and competitive
participants who might have forgotten that all these were being done
in the spirit of fun and camaraderie. It was good that Turvey
brought along his Japinay girlfriend Risa Fukushima who was
incidentally celebrating her birthday.
For three full days, food and booze overflowed
on the island, the music played on and the parties ended way past
midnight. But more important, relationships were rekindled, new
friendships were formed and the games brought people together.
Indeed, it was a weekend of refreshingly fun.
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