A Sportsman's Story

It’s not yet too late at 43.

Engaging in extreme sports ever since in college, UP College of Human Kinetics Professor Norberto Madrigal plans to ride a bike to pass through the whole stretch of Buswangga Island in Coron, Palawan. There were instances that sports enthusiasts travelled the island through bike only in partial, but never before was it explored in whole, non-stop. And Professor Madrigal wants to make that happen.

He took up Physical Education in college; carrying the student number 1983-03660, he was one of the few Iskolar ng Bayan. He was a multiathlete, claiming that it was normal for them back in the day to excel in various sports. Wrestling, judo, powerlifting and archery – these were the sports he was training and competing in during the time. Juggling all these altogether, his innate skill and passion in extreme sports emancipated as he became the national champion in powerlifting, wrestling and archery while the collegiate champion in judo. And all these happened in just a span of five years.

“Unang nagustuhan ko talaga wrestling (I first loved wrestling),” he said, recounting one of his most unforgettable Olympic wrestling competitions.

He had lost 22 lbs. of weight in two weeks to be accepted in the flyweight division. He was 136 lbs. then because he had to bulk up for a previous powerliftng competition. Aside from losing weight, he had rigorous training to improve his strength and skill for the competition because of the pressure from his team and coach to win the gold medal for that division.

Overlooking the science of it all, he lost the competition.

Because of the abrupt weight loss in his body, instead of gaining strength physically and mentally, what happened was the other way around. As he ate less food, his brain saw it as fasting, so it automatically converted everything he ate to fat, making him even weaker. Also, his reaction time suffered during this time because his hydration level went low as he lost weight. If only he knew then that reaction time is dependent on hydration level, he wouldn’t have agreed to losing weight in such a short period of time.

The incident made Madrigal learn that “Kahit anong sport may science talaga, hindi lang nila narerealize kaagad (There’s science in every sport, people just don’t immediately realize it).”

Acquiring over 10 injuries, among these a cracked sternum, a dislocated clavicle, a pinched nerve on the neck and finally obtaining a “cauliflower ear” from too much pressure during fights, he decided to stop competing and just pass on what he knows to his students to also give them a chance to experience what he had gone through.
Currently, he’s a professor at the Department of Sports Science of the College of Human Kinetics, teaching scuba diving, wrestling, judo, powerlifting, archery, birdwatching, team building and mixed martial arts.

Dial Benta, presently a student of Professor Madrigal in scuba diving, said that she appreciated him being patient and encouraging since she didn’t know how to swim when she took the class. Now, thanks to him, she is proud that she not only knows how to swim, she can even dive.

She also added how he loves to joke around with his students in class and at the same time act professional. She admired how he knows where to draw the line between being just a “barkada” and an instructor.

Imitating how professors are assessed through the performance evaluation test, Benta ranked Professor Madrigal to be among the best professors she has ever had.

Having already won several competitions, being a professor students love and being a member of various sports organizations such as Wrestling Association of the Philippines, UP Mountaineering, Philippine Bird Photography Forum and Fin Swimming Federations, Madrigal saw his greatest accomplishment from something else.

For him, it’s his 12-year old boy Burt Thomas who seems to be following the footsteps of his father. At a very young age, he has already competed in fin swimming and has already been training in archery and football. Also, both of them are play wrestling in their home and Madrigal could see the potential in strength of his son.

“Mas magiging magaling ‘yun sa akin (He’ll be better than me),” Madrigal, as a proud father, muses.