Health and fitness have always been part of our family life for as long as I can remember.
According to my folks, “Getting into a healthy lifestyle was a choice we made, as a couple, when we started our married life and eventually, our family life.”
We are the Tecson family, one borne out of Silliman romance, by a girl from near up north (Tanjay City), and a boy from way down south (Iligan City). Out came three sons from this union, three giants, as my parents refer to us, ‘cause we three are way taller than our Dad.
The girl from up north is Maripol Rotea, my Mama, a woman with spunk, a loving mom, an entrepreneur (also a CPA), and now just recently, a champion runner! She is one of the founding members of the Dumaguete Amateur Roadrunners & Striders (DARS). She finished first in her category in the Run 4 ur Heart race held Feb. 20.
Before running became part of her routine, my mom briskwalked at the Perdices oval almost every morning (five to six days a week) for three years. So, shifting to running was easy for her, landing always first or second in her category in three of the races she has joined so far.
The Mindanaoan guy from down south is my Dad, Albert Tecson, also an entrepreneur, managing Derm Corner, a one-stop beauty shop (skincare clinic, retail, and hair salon). As far as I could recall, my Dad loves to eat veggies and fish. Nothing fried for him; he prefers only broiled or boiled.
We, the giants, were brought up to be temperate in our wants, and to focus more on our basic needs as persons. As part of my parents’ drive to keep us in control with ourselves, “fitness laws” were ordained.
We were to strive, in our best powers, to eat healthy. My Mom just shared to us at the dinner table while eating wheat pasta and fresh salad that in children’s parties we attended when we were still toddlers, they used to add a little water to our softdrinks before letting us drink it. This was one of the first of these “laws”.
The efforts toward health and fitness as part of right living was always afire in the family: the fitness laws go way back. I remember it clearest in my early elementary years when my classmates would go and carefree-ly eat Chippy, Nutri-Star, Sweet Corn balls, and Mr. Chips. But we, the Tecson brothers, were “outlawed” from doing the same.
That didn’t mean we never ate junk food though, but nevertheless, we ate less of it than most, saving us from too much salt and preservatives.
My own fitness story is a colorful adventure all on its own. Armed with my helmet and flip-flops, I started with mountain biking. Not only was it fun; it also was very therapeutic. Eventually, I was able to work out at the gym, hike across hills, do some muay thai, even dance the Hip-Hop Abs.
All of this, started with a choice: to eat a balanced diet, live healthy lives, to live happy lives, together as a family. We are the Tecson family and we have chosen fitness to be our friend. (Emmanuel “Dudz” Rotea Tecson)
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