Filipino Winter Olympian's family mortgaged home for ticket to Sochi

[King LeBron]

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With little support from the government, the family of the Philippines' lone Winter Olympian Michael Christian Martinez resorted to mortgaging their home to send the 17-year-old to Sochi, Russia as the first Filipino Winter Olympian in 22 years.

Martinez, whose mother tells Catholic News Service that she reached out to President Benigno Aquino for financial help without response, also overcame an inflamed knee and his family's typhoon-ravaged farm to make it to the biggest stage in figure skating.

“My house is mortgaged. It’s a crazy investment,” said Maria Teresa Martinez, the figure skater's mother. "I don't even think anyone at the president's office knows there's a Filipino skating in the Olympics."

It's a gamble, but the teenager from Paranaque, Manila, Philippines is relying on his faith and family's support to carry him to the promised land.

"Before there was no one to hold on to, only my mom but no one else," he told Simone Orendain of the Catholic Register. "So I'm holding on to God. Every competition I ask him for help and confidence and it really works!"

Martinez, 17, and a devout Catholic, is vying to become the first Filipino to medal at the Winter Games, having bested international pre-Olympic tournaments to earn an elusive ticket to to Russia.

Filipino Winter Olympian's family mortgaged home for ticket to Sochi

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Wrong timing si mother kay busy pa siguro si PNoy sa iyang Noynoying ato nga time while singing and dancing the Lazy song.........



Oh well, it's the government as a whole from the SK to the Senators to Mr. MIB. Long live the Philippines!!

[dawlim]

maayo man lang na cla f naa ma achieve ang usa ka pinoy

[Little_Mermaid88]

unya kung mka-medal ni kai ipa-courtesy call dayon kai i-recognize dayon. tsk. mao bitaw wa ni makuha nga medals kai di jud suportaan sa gobyerno.

[xxxancientxxx]

maypa'g mu palit ug medal kilid sa UV colon.

[beyee]

Watched his program, it was close to perfection! Goose bumps alert!
Too bad, he's not given much help from our government and our sports
commission as well.

If I could have all the money in the world, Mike and the rest of our athletes
will no longer be robbed off such opportunity to represent our country by
means of their skills and talents.

Wake up, Noy and use our taxes to good use.

[kit_cebu]

middle finger up, PeaNoy....

[supermarionism]

Maayu unta maka medal ni siya dayun inig abot kay pangayu-an dayun ug tax ni PNoy

[crossramz]

Aware ang POC? hahahaha.. I've seen him on some competition via facebook pages, and deym this kid not only good at figure skating but on the whole presentation itself.

[crossramz]

[ngitscarlo09]

pakauwaw lang ning administrasyona! Pwera gaba mogasto og billion aron makabaws lang sa mga critico. Pero pag ka balita ani nisuporta man daw ang malacanang sa istorya rpud nuon...dafaq may ning opawan ning abnoya