FWD sends off sole Filipino runner to North Pole Marathon
MANILA, Philippines — Pan-Asian insurer FWD Life Insurance, one of the fastest-growing insurance companies in the Philippines, is sending off the country’s lone representative to the FWD North Pole Marathon.
Multi-sport athlete and cancer survivor Luisito "Louie" Sangalang is set to fly to the northernmost point on Earth to represent the Philippines in the marathon slated on April 9.
Sangalang will join 10 other FWD-sponsored runners from Hong Kong, Indonesia, Singapore, Vietnam and Japan in the grueling competition. Dubbed "FWD Team Asia," the 11 runners from Asia will join other participants hailing from around the globe.
At the FWD North Pole Marathon, they will be running on ice sheet measuring 6 to 12 feet thick which is above 12,000 feet of Arctic Ocean, literally on top of the world. They will then be traversing a 42-kilometer path with an average temperature of negative 30 degrees centigrade, even going as low as negative 40 degrees centigrade at times.
The marathon is unique because it is run on a small 4.22-kilometer (2.62-mile) loop about 10 times, over hard snow or ice.
A send-off party for Sangalang was held on March 22 at the Bonifacio Technology Center in Bonifacio Global City, Taguig. Present were FWD executives and team members, North Pole Marathon campaign collaborators, Sangalang’s friends and relatives, and his support squad.
Once-in-a-lifetime experience
To prepare for the race of a lifetime, Sangalang has joined various local marathons to keep his body in top physical shape. To adjust to extreme cold weather, he has continuously trained inside an industrial freezer with a temperature that mimics that of the negative 30-degree centigrade temperature in the North Pole.
Sangalang has also received support from his "The FWD Squad" in preparation for the FWD North Pole Marathon. Triathlon coach Ani De Leon-Brown together with Sangalang’s running coach Ige Lopez provided the athletic training and guidance. Romi Garduce, the first and only Filipino to have completed the Seven Summits in 2012, gave valuable advice on how to survive the extreme cold.
Other members of the Squad include celebrity mom Maricel Laxa-Pangilinan and son Benjamin, who gave motivational support for Sangalang, and radio DJ and host Sam YG, who joined Sangalang in his rigorous training sessions.
Overcoming life challenges
Peter Grimes, president and CEO of FWD Life Philippines, said Sangalang’s resilience in overcoming different challenges is one trait that resonates well in Filipinos and this made him the perfect choice to represent the Philippines in the marathon.
"Louie's inspiring story of being a cancer survivor and his passion for fitness, which he uses to inspire Filipinos to live an active lifestyle, also best represent what FWD stands for: embracing the opportunities in your life without hesitation," Grimes said.
Apart from Sangalang, FWD is also sponsoring runners who have their own life challenges but are pursuing the FWD North Pole Marathon experience nonetheless.
Representing Singapore and Hong Kong, respectively, are para-athlete Shariff Abdullah, dubbed as Singapore Blade Runner, and Leung Siu Wai, who is visually impaired.
"FWD saw the North Pole Marathon as a unique and important platform to communicate the idea that everyone should live life to the fullest, stay true to their passion, and not give up their goals, because FWD will always have their back!" said Roche Vandenberghe, FWD Life Philippines head of marketing.
This is the second year that FWD has sponsored the North Pole Marathon, which is recognized by the Association of International Marathons & Distance Races, as well as the only certified marathon that is run entirely on the frozen water of the Arctic Ocean.
Follow Louie Sangalang's journey as he represents the Philippines in the upcoming FWD North Pole Marathon this April. Visit http://npmarathon.fwd.com.ph. Check out FWD Life Insurance’s Facebook page: fwdlife.ph and Instagram/@fwdlife_ph.
