A Filipino American woman will be competing in the 2010 Winter Olympics in Vancouver, Canada.Amanda Evora will vie for the gold in the figure skating pairs competition with partner Mark Ladwig.
Evora’s father Vicente who arrived ahead of his wife and 2 sons, was still in disbelief that his daughter and skating partner made it to the Olympics this year.
“They were very heavy underdogs,” Mr. Evora said. “I usually go to the (online message) boards to see what people were saying, and hardly anybody predicted that Amanda and Mark would make it. It just feels very good.”
‘19 years in the making’
‘19 years in the making’
Mr. Evora said Amanda’s achievement has been 19 years in the making. Born to Filipino parents who moved to the US in the 70’s. Amanda began skating at age 6.
“It was our father-daughter time when she skated,” Mr. Evora said.
Amanda and members of Team USA are now following a strict schedule. Not even parents can see them until after they compete.
Vicente admits he is nervous for his daughter’s routine, but is comforted by a conversation they had over the phone a few days ago.
“She said, for her, it’s going to be a celebration performance, so there’s really no pressure on her,” Mr. Evora said.
Mr. Vicente is now preparing a gift for his daughter after the olympics.
“I’ve been taking all of the articles together, putting them and saving them in Word documents. I’m going to make a scrapbook out of it and that would be my present for her,” he said.
Evora and Ladwig’s Facebook page, meantime, has been filled with well wishes for the pair. They are set to compete on the ice this Sunday, Valentine’s Day. Reports from Mariton Pacheco, ABS-CBN North America News Bureau and Balitang America
http://www.abs-cbnnews.com/pinoy-migration/02/13/10/fil-am-skater-compete-winter-olympics
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