SUBIC - Adversity builds character. And for Philip Delarmino, his early struggles only prepared him for glory years later.
After two failed attempts, Delarmino finally captured the gold medal that eluded him twice after topping the men's 57-kgs muay thai event of the 30th Southeast Asian Games at the Subic Bay Exhibition and Convention Center here on Sunday.
Dubbed as "The Destroyer," Delarmino battered Vietnam's Long Doan Nguyen on all fronts en route a rousing victory.
It was third time's a charm for Delarmino, who settled for silver in the 2013 edition of the regional meet before reaching only the quarterfinals when the sport returned in 2017.
Trials, though, nagged the 29-year-old martial artist long before his first SEA Games stint.
Delarmino used to be a scavenger, looking for some scraps of value to make ends meet. He wasn't able to find any treasure in the trash, though.
"While studying, I dabbled in scavenging so I would have some cash to spare in school," he said.
That did little to turn the tables for the Dumangas, Iloilo native. It was in muay thai that his life began turning around.
"I'm happy that all our sacrifices paid off," he said.
As the curtain fell on the sport on Sunday night, Delarmino wasted no time in appreciating the efforts of everyone who supported him in his journey.
"First of all, this is for God who made all this possible. I also wanna thank the POC (Philippine Olympic Committee), PSC (Philippine Sports Comittee), and Muay Thai Association of the Philippines and president Lucas Managuelod," he said with a smile.
There's not really a secret to success. Delarmino is a proof that good results await people who put in the work day in and day out.
"You really just have to work hard and pray," he said.