The ‘Gameplan’ ‘fource’

They’re full of spunk, quite game really. Their steel-like bodies give away their prowess. They’re ready to face the day’s battle in their Oakley gear (which they happen to be endorsing). They dare to take sports to new heights and they sure know how to make it look good! Of course, we’re talking about Gameplan’s amazing TV foursome: Swimming champ Akiko Thomson, Tricia Chiongbian, Carlo Ledesma and Rovilson Fernandez. Let’s meet the "fource" up close:

How did you guys meet?

AKIKO: I knew Tricia and Carlo before Gameplan, but I wouldn’t say we were close. Gameplan did it for all four of us.

ROVILSON: If it weren’t for Gameplan, I doubt if I would have met my co-hosts (except maybe for Tricia, I would have met her at a party because she’s such an extrovert).

TRICIA: I met Akiko way before GP, Carlo during the auditions, and Rovilson during our formal "get to know each other" lunch at National Sports Grill.

CARLO: Pretty much right when Gameplan started. I had always known who Akiko was (who doesn’t?), and I’d see Tricia as the hottie VJ on Studio 23, so I was excited to work with them. I had no idea who this big Amboy with the bizarre name was, however; I thought he was merely there to fill in for me whenever I’d be too booked for shoots.

How did you become a Gameplan host?

AKIKO: I auditioned like everyone else, it was a cattle call!

ROVILSON: I would say the noble thing: Hard work, a kick-ass audition and prayers, but who are we kidding? Carlo and I slept our way to the top.

TRICIA: Well, I auditioned like everybody else.

CARLO: I had worked in Gameplan before, as a producer. I was doing some freelance producing and theater acting when the show’s current producers called me and asked me to audition. Since they knew me and were very comfortable with me, no effort was spared on their part to absolutely humiliate me with their audition requests! I had to sing, act like Miriam Defensor, etc. It was all worth it though because here I am!

What’s the concept behind Gameplan?

AKIKO: It’s a 30-minute fast-paced sports and adventure show. We feature sporting events, if we’re not already competing in them, and also do the ins and arounds of different cities.

ROVILSON: To bring a sport, lifestyle, activity and/or place to the viewers.

TRICIA: It’s basically a sports show, but we also feature different places around the Philippines, extreme sports, etc.

CARLO: I think the concept behind Gameplan is to inspire people to get off their butts and enjoy life. Our goal as hosts is to make sports look fun, interesting, and doable. So much so that viewers will want to try it themselves. We are also big on promoting local tourist sites. The Philippines has hundreds of fantastic destinations, why not explore them? Many Filipinos are so obsessed with leaving the Philippines to visit other countries they don’t realize what they have in their backyard.

Personally, what do you think does the show aim to achieve?

AKIKO: Get people more active, and learn more about different activities, places to do/visit.

ROVILSON: Personally, I’d like to encourage people to get their lazy bums off the couch and do something. It’s a beautiful country full of fascinating people and Gameplan has only scratched the surface.

TRICIA: I think it aims to show the viewers the different types of sports around our country, things you can do in our cities and provinces, different events we have going on, etc.

What do your viewers think of the show?

AKIKO: I’d like to think positive, healthy and wholesome.

ROVILSON: I don’t know what our rep is, but I’ll tell you an incident... I appeared on a rival sports show and didn’t think much of it. After the rival show aired, our show was flooded with e-mails saying, "Stay on that show if you’re an artista, Gameplan is for athletes"; "I had respect for you as a jock, but you’re just a joke"; "You’ve dishonored the sanctity of Gameplan and all that it stands for", etc. Needless to say, worst week of my professional career. Lesson learned? Our loyal viewers are hardcore and they put the fear of God in me. I love ‘em for keeping us in check.

TRICIA: I think we’ve got a pretty good reputation among our viewers... people e-mail us and tell us how they loved watching this or that story, or asking us to repeat a certain story they loved watching. With the feedback I hear from my friends and from viewers, I believe we’ve got a great reputation!

CARLO: I think we’re slowly but surely gaining a rep as the show where its hosts will do anything and everything. We don’t just stay in the sidelines and report about a sport, we get in and try them ourselves, bruises and concussions be damned!

What have been your most memorable bruises, er, experiences on the show? Most challenging ones?

AKIKO: Honestly, there are too many to recount. I’ve always enjoyed doing the city features, like my trips to Puerto Princessa, Bacolod, Tubbataha... the adventure races we’ve competed in as a team have also been quite memorable. Most challenging would have to be street luge – ugh!

ROVILSON: So many... but the cliche holds true, the best moments are always off-cam!

TRICIA: Do you have enough space for me? Hehe! Seeing baby pawikan hatch in Palawan, joining our first adventure race as Team Gameplan, doing the Special Forces ropes course, meeting wonderful people, and the list goes on...

Challenging would have to be anything to do with heights... makes my tummy tumble inside, but I’d do it anyway.

CARLO: Memorable – seeing baby pawikan hatch, going downhill mountain biking for the first time, the Del Monte 202 races, being attacked by guard dogs, training with the Army Special Forces, getting my ass kicked by various martial artists, rediscovering my long-lost six-pack (it’s currently more like a 5-1/2-pack now, but I have faith). Challenging – every adventure race we’ve done. Shoot where dancing is involved.

What’s the best thing about hosting Gameplan?

AKIKO: Traveling and doing sports! The endorsements and opportunity to meet really neat people!

ROVILSON: The fans, the traveling, how sports has become a passion and a lifestyle, the interesting people we meet.

TRICIA: Traveling to all the beautiful places and meeting different people. Opening my eyes to the various walks of life, trying all the different sports.

CARLO: Being told by other people that I have the best job in the world. Going into shoots and realizing they’re right.

What have you learned from hosting Gameplan?

AKIKO: That I am really so so blessed. Blessed with the job, blessed with the team I work with, my co-hosts.

ROVILSON: That 10,000 other qualified peple are in line and ready to take my job so I better be on my best behavior.

TRICIA: Enjoy life to the fullest!

CARLO: I’ve learned that I am the least-recognized host. Nobody knows who the hell I am. People mob Akiko and Trish, and Rovi is plastered all over the society pages with his showbiz posse. In the rare instances I do get recognized as a host of Gameplan, people call me Paolo Abrera or Carlo Aquino! Thank God, I have a very buoyant sense of self-esteem; otherwise, I would have gone nuts!

How do you keep fit?

AKIKO: I exercise regularly, alternating between the pool, gym (run) and tennis. I eat sensibly, too.

ROVILSON: I do weights at the gym three-four times a week, run every other day, play basketball on weekends and one random sport every week just for variety (football, wall climbing, aerobics, badminton, etc.). I eat healthy – lots of protein, low-carb diet, and I don’t forget my vitamins! I’ll play with Akiko’s gold medals every now and then for inspiration.

TRICIA: I try to go to the gym at least twice a week. I run or bike.

CARLO: I try to work out six days a week. Some days I lift weights, others I play Ultimate Frisbee, go mountain biking, etc. Lately though I’ve been running a lot, I just watched an Ironman-distance triathlon in Subic and I was so inspired by the athletes there. My goal for next year is to do a triathlon. Psyching myself into wearing Speedos will probably be the hardest part about it.

How do you deal with getting sick/hurt in the middle of an assignment?

AKIKO: Hmmm ... fortunately, this hasn’t happened too often. The only time I can remember is when we raced as a team in the San Mig Light adventure race, I fell off a tricycle Rovilson was driving, landed on my elbow, and later found out I had a hairline fracture. It was painful at the time, not excruciating, but uncomfortable, but we were so close to the end, I HAD to finish it. Thank God, we came in 3rd! Tiis lang.

ROVILSON: Due to the nature of our work, the occupational hazards are plenty. Thankfully, we have full medical and dental coverage (which we use on a weekly basis). We’ve all had to work under some excruciating circumstances. Personally, I just suck it up, smile and say my lines. Pain is temporary, glory is forever! Being in pain/scared/nervous only adds more depth to our show and makes us human to our audience.

TRICIA: Take some medication and continue. Hehe!

CARLO: Thankfully, most of our producers are females with tremendous maternal instinct. There was this one time I collapsed right after an adventure race and Karen, one of the producers, took me to the emergency room herself. Gameplan producers aren’t just great producers, they make great nurses as well.

What’s your motto/driving force in life?

AKIKO: To live life to the fullest, to make a difference in someone else’s life, to live a life that glorifies God.

ROVILSON: In college, it was "Always smell it first." But now that I’ve matured, "Victory is not to the swift, but to those who keep on running."

TRICIA: Make a difference and live life to the fullest.

CARLO: Work hard, play hard, always wear a helmet.

What keeps you going?

AKIKO: My faith, family and friends.

ROVILSON: The fact that I have the best job in the world (for further clarification, see answer on what he has learned from hosting Gameplan).

TRICIA: Knowing that the experience will teach me something and that it’s worth it.

CARLO: Knowing that I haven’t even scratched the surface of what I can do and can become. That and ice-cold Gatorade.

Being away most of the time, do you still have time to go on dates?

AKIKO: Sure, although it’s been pretty quiet lately! Haha!

ROVILSON: Time to go on dates? No. Thank Gawd for friends.

TRICIA: I go out with friends if that’s what you mean.

CARLO: I have a girlfriend, so that’s not much of a problem for me. Rovilson is our resident dater so you might want to ask him about his dates (which would probably be an entirely different interview).

What’s your idea of a perfect date?

AKIKO: Just a relaxing casual time, goofing around would be nice.

ROVILSON: A little bit of wining, dining and great conversation. Then a hug and a goodbye handshake and wondering if she had a good time and if she’d call.

TRICIA: Out of the country date ... wow!!

Carlo: The scenario in the movie Before Sunrise is as perfect as a perfect date gets.

How does marriage figure in your future plans?

AKIKO: God willing :)

ROVILSON: Absolutely. Only for the sole purpose of passing my name onto my unsuspecting son who has to go through life saying, "It’s not Rumplestiltskin, Rover or Wilson, it’s Rovilson." You curse your parents for not naming you Bobby, Mike or John, then you realize that your parents gave you a unique name because you are unique (do I sound bitter?).

TRICIA: Of course!!

Carlo: Yes, and I’m sure marriage will be an adventure of Gameplan proportions.

What about Gameplan’s future plans?

AKIKO: Oh, there are tons of stories I’d like to do ... and eventually, produce one myself.

ROVILSON: To keep stretching my "15 minutes" as far as it can go ... I’m at "12 minutes" and counting ....

TRICIA: Hopefully, I get to go out of the country because I’m the only host that hasn’t done a story out of the country.

CARLO: I refuse to leave Gameplan until my dream stories are fulfilled: Dive in a shark cage and go face-to-face with Great White sharks, skydive, and interview Michael Jordan.

How do you see yourself 10 years from now?

AKIKO: Married with children, still very active in business, TV or what not.

ROVILSON: Winning an Academy Award.

TRICIA: Happy, maybe married.

CARLO: Youthful, fit, and having a discussion with my interior decorator as to where in the house to place my Oscar.

Describe yourself in one word.

AKIKO: Naku ... isn’t this too limiting? Enthusiastic? Adventurous? Sensible? God fearing ... goofy, multi-faceted, how’s that?

ROVILSON: Nuts!

TRICIA: Fun.

CARLO: Driven.

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E-mail me at ice_wave_42@yahoo.com