The Manila Times Internet Edition | LIFE & TIMES >The right stuff

Beauty is incidental. Yes, they are the Philippines’ best-known triathletes; not even tycoons/triathletes such as Fernando Zobel de Ayala or Fred Uytengsu can claim to have their faces plastered on commuter buses plying the entire metro. It doesn’t hurt that they are all naturally as gorgeous as they are athletic. Representing an acclaimed beauty salon certainly helps. They are tanned, toned and svelte. But it is speed and not beauty that makes Team David’s Salon turn heads as they pass by.

Triathlons—a sport that challenges competitors to swim, bicycle and run back to back—attracts more than its fair share of women. Top events, often conducted at scenic beach resorts for their access to open water for the competition’s swimming stage, give the sport a glamorous image. But Team David’s Salon doesn’t spend its time just basking in the sun. They slice through wind and water to get to the gold. In the last two years alone, they dominated the podium at the White Rock Triathlon, XCR, Subic International Triathlon and many other prestigious sporting events.

More than just reaping medals and trophies, Team David’s Salon is winning over women to a healthier lifestyle. They consistently champion advocacies such as cervical cancer awareness campaigns of Bravehearts, Cancer Warriors Foundation and The Tour of Hope; the Anti-Violence Against Women advocacy ride; United Nations Children’s Fund global hand washing day; and Pinays in Action’s campaign for women to adopt a more proactive lifestyle. They champion and exemplify the 21st century Filipina—one who is competitive and yet every bit as feminine as they care to be.

Renaissance women

Nina Dacanay, Arlene Buenviaje-Juliano, Joyette Jopson, Kaye Lopez—members of a winning crew that includes Popo Remigio, Christine Navarro-Engolen, Carmela Seriña, Marita Lucas, Nina Vera and Senator Pia Cayetano—reveal how and why they became part of Team David’s Salon.

“I’ve been running since high school. That’s really my bias—running. I got into triathlons when I joined Team David’s Salon. It really helped me balance all the types of training from running to cycling to swimming,” says Nina Dacanay, 25 years of age, human resources associate at JG Summit Holdings Inc. A graduate of Ateneo de Manila University, she holds a degree in AB-Interdisciplinary Studies. Her other physical disciplines include yoga, mountaineering, Frisbee and sky running (high altitude marathons).

Arlene Buenviaje-Juliano, 26, works for the supply chain management department of Unilever Philippines. The newly married Buenviaje-Juliano graduated from the University of the Philippines (UP) with a degree in Industrial Engineering and was once the lead vocalist for a rock band. “When I was working, I had a friend who was into hiking and running. I came along one time and I haven’t stopped running since. A friend of that friend of mine was a member of Team David’s and invited me. At first I didn’t know what I was getting myself into—what being part of a team meant. But I really enjoyed it,” she says.

Joyette Jopson, 29, helps operate KIND-SAS, her family’s security agency where her master’s degree in Business Administration from Ateneo comes into play. She confesses, “I started three years ago. I was partying too much and I wanted a different lifestyle. My brother’s been doing this sport for 17 years already. It was just natural that I joined. I got hooked.”

Kaye Lopez, team captain, manager and founding member of Team David’s Salon at age 26, currently studies at the International School for Culinary Arts and Hotel Management. She already holds a degree in Psychology from UP where she graduated as Cum Laude. She is also co-proprietor and nutritionist of Fresh Start Meal Program as well as a freelance sports writer. She was once a ballerina for Dance Center Philippines.

She recalls, “After dancing ballet for almost 10 years, I felt it wasn’t for me anymore. Then my cousins started to invite me to train with them. At first I just wanted to do it for fitness. But after my first competition in Ateneo, that was it for me. I became part of the national team for triathlon. In 2004, I was invited to shift to the national cycling team for the Vietnam SEA [South East Asian] Games.”

Lopez reveals how they came to be: “After the SEA Games, my teammate Bing Alto and I decided to tap corporate sponsors to create a semi-professional team. And that’s how Team David’s Salon started out. We were lucky that David Charlton [himself a triathlete] took a chance on us. He’s been a longtime friend in the triathlon community.”

Making the cut

Since its inception in 2005, Team David’s Salon has undergone three batches. The team clarifies that beauty was not part of any selection criteria. “There were no qualifications on looks. What happened was that Kaye approached women who were already training. They already had the drive to get where they wanted to go,” explains Jopson.

“It was very open. There were no stringent guidelines. The only qualification requirement was that you would make yourself available for trainings and races and if David called a meeting, we would be there,” she reveals. Lopez credits Charlton for adopting a democratic and hands off approach to the team, allowing the athletes to select its own members and formulate its own regimen while supporting the team graciously. Dacanay recalls, “The only thing he asked of us was, ‘Please don’t go into any other salon but David’s.”

Winning ways

Jopson reveals how it is to train for three different disciplines: “We have our cycling coach, our running coach and our swimming coach. For example, our sessions with our cycling coach are Wednesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays. We run usually Tuesdays and Fridays in the morning. We swim on our own. Me, I do it right after the run. On weekends, we do a long bike or a long run.” A long run may mean 12 kilometers under an hour and a half. They also have speed sessions in track ovals.

Dacanay explains how they avoid injury and overtraining: “We are encouraged to have one whole rest day once a week. You have to let your body recover. That’s usually the day after your heaviest workout.”

Lopez notes, “It’s important to have a coach or somebody more mature in the sport to guide you. Without them, the tendency is to run until you’re so tired that you can’t get up in the morning. He’s the one to create a program based on our different fitness levels. It really has to be customized for your goals.”

Surprisingly, these slender ladies are not on any strict diet. “We love to eat. We burn it anyway,” confesses Buenviaje-Juliano.

A kick in the face

Despite its glamorous image, triathlons often involve getting kicked in the face by competitors swimming ahead of you and sometimes even bike spills. “It’s like baptism of fire for newbies. But the more I got kicked, the more determined I was to get in front of the person who was doing the kicking,” says Jopson.

Nonetheless, the triathlon community continues to be more women-friendly than other sports where machismo and one-upmanship are still the norm. “Even as a newcomer, you feel welcome. It’s a different mindset. They really encourage you to just finish. Sometimes, the last one gets more attention than the first one,” attests Lopez. “It’s really friendly. You don’t have to keep up with anyone. You’re only battling against yourself,” says Buenviaje-Juliano.

The team admits that competing in resort locations is also part of the attraction. “I’m happy I joined Team David’s because I wouldn’t have enjoyed all the travel and the nice venues,” attests Buenviaje-Juliano.

Better than a hand bag

Mastering three different sports disciplines is not only physically demanding, it can also be expensive. ‘The biggest investment is the bike,” admits Lopez. Ultra light weight, aerodynamic performance bicycles custom built to a person’s proportions can cost P250,000 or more. “You can get a decent bike without having to spend so much,” notes Lopez. “My very first road bike was less than P15,000,” admits Buenviaje-Juliano. “Some people invest in bags. We just happen to invest in really good bikes,” says Lopez. Besides tri-bikes, there are tri-suits now available locally that allow competitors to swim, bike and run comfortably.

Though competing in triathlons means committing much time, Dacanay notes, “With the training that we do, its easy to slot it in where it’s convenient—early in the morning, and, if you’re a member of a gym nearby, even lunchtime, and evenings and weekends. For those of us already into the [athletic] lifestyle before going into the workforce, it was a natural discipline already, a balancing act all the time.” She adds that their sport adds to their career motivation: “If we don’t work, we don’t have disposable income to pay for what we love to do. It really forces you to know what your priorities are.”

Thankfully, the team has highlights on their hair to go with their tan. With the support of David’s Salon, the team not only enjoys support but glamorous looks to go with their fit bodies and sharp mind. That’s true beauty.

For details, visit www.teamdavidsalon.com.ph or http://teamdavidsalon.multiply.com.

Sponsored Links

Hosted by: