Page 8 - SWIM PH UAAP Issue 2015_Neat

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NICOLE MEAH M. PAMINTUAN
15, De La salle zobel
– high school Division
Stroke: Backstroke
Nikki Pamintuan lives by the phrase, “No Pain,
No Gain” as she believes it is through hard work
and sacrifice that success is achieved. A Palarong
Pambansa standout and multiple gold-medalist, Nikki
started swimming when she was six years old. She
attributes her passion for the sport to being diagnosed
as an obese child that pushed her mom to enroll her
in swimming. What started out as an avenue to stay fit
and meet friends, became a drive to win competitions
even at such a young age. Her coach, Cyril Carmona,
eventually advised her to pursue swimming
competitively given her potential and talent. True
enough, Nikki lived up to her coach’s expectations by
winning seven gold medals and breaking two records
in the relay events in the 2015 Palarong Pambansa.
This solidified her mark as the female swimmer to
watch out for.
In 2013, Nikki almost lost the will to swim due to
depression from her coach’s passing, but found
renewed passion in the sport because she wanted to
make her parents and her lola proud. Until today, Nikki
considers her grandmother as her biggest inspiration
because of her never-ending support and belief in her.
Now a student-athlete in De La Salle Zobel, Nikki
knows that she has to work hard and balance her time
well to achieve her goals. “If you want to reach for
something you have to be focused and do whatever it
takes to achieve your dream. When you feel that you
want to give up, that’s when you have to be strong in
order to achieve success,” she shares. Aside from
aiming to grab the Rookie of the Year Award this
year, Nikki hopes that she can help the team win the
championship and inspire other swimmers in the
team. With dreams of having her own business and
travelling the world with her family someday, Nikki has
set her sights to have the right mindset and attitude as
early as now.

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