Tovic Salvador

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Paige Javier

ABS-CBN News

<p>MANILA —  Filipino adaptive athlete Ameer Ahid is the living embodiment of his favorite quote and famous movie line &quot;keep moving forward.&quot;  </p><p>At 13 years old, Ahid was diagnosed with bone cancer and had to amputate his right leg to avoid the cancer from spreading to other parts of his body. Since then, the architect took on various sports like mountaineering, obstacle sports and now HYROX to show that one setback cannot stop one from endless possibilities.  </p><p>Just last month, Ahid made history as the first Filipino adaptive athlete to participate in HYROX, an indoor fitness competition that’s making waves globally.  </p><div><span class="fr-img-caption fr-fic fr-dib" style="width:633px;display:block" width="633"><span class="fr-img-wrap"><img src="https://od2-image-api.abs-cbn.com/prod/editorImage/1780813834913618969519_18428647195116746_1120292352970799740_n.jpg" style="width:633px" class="fr-fic fr-dib" width="633"/><span class="fr-inner" style="text-align:left">Adaptive athlete Ameer Ahid. <em>Photo from Ahid&#x27;s Instagram account </em></span></span></span></div><p>He clocked in a time of 1 hour, 55 minutes and 13 seconds in the Open Men Solo Adaptive Division in HYROX Incheon in South Korea. </p><p>Ahid could not hold back his tears after completing the race, since it was another challenge he overcame.</p><p>&quot;I was really shocked na I became the first Filipino adaptive athlete who joined HYROX. Sobrang nakakatuwa yung feeling,&quot; he told ABS-CBN News in a recent exclusive interview at Tempo Hybrid.</p><div><iframe class="instagram-media instagram-media-rendered" id="instagram-embed-0" src="https://www.instagram.com/reel/DYYtzpOtAp-/embed/captioned/?cr=1&amp;v=14&amp;wp=1026&amp;rd=https%3A%2F%2Fod2-workbench-web.abs-cbn.com&amp;rp=%2F#%7B%22ci%22%3A0%2C%22os%22%3A8888752%7D" allowtransparency="true" allowfullscreen="" frameBorder="0" height="1113" data-instgrm-payload-id="instagram-media-payload-0" scrolling="no" style="background:white;max-width:540px;width:calc(100% - 2px);border-radius:3px;border:1px solid rgb(219, 219, 219);box-shadow:none;display:block;margin:0px 0px 12px;min-width:326px;padding:0px"></iframe></div><script async="" src="//www.instagram.com/embed.js"></script><p>&quot;Sobrang overwhelming, actually, nung support, nung energy, nung everything. And, I was really glad na natapos ko siya. And, medyo naging emotional ako when I finished it. Kasi, looking back at the challenges nung finace ko while preparing for HYROX, sobrang grabe,&quot; Ahid shared.</p><p>Before the race, Ahid said one of the major challenges was gathering enough funds and preparing while waiting for his visa to get approved.</p><p>&quot;Medyo, ang hirap mag-training without certainty na ma-approve ka. Kaya, parang, medyo medyo clutch yung pag-a-ano, yung pag-a-apply namin ng visa,&quot; he said.</p><p>&quot;Growing up kasi hindi naman talaga ako sanay na nag-a-ask ng help, ng mga support. Pero, alam mo yun na, totoo nga yung sinabi nila na there&#x27;s strength in knowing your weaknesses and asking for help. Kaya, sobrang nakakatuwa na I have these people around me na sobrang supportive,&quot; Ahid explained.</p><p>For the 30-year-old, being the first Filipino adaptive athlete to participate in HYROX was a way to achieve his dream of representing the country on the world stage.</p><p>Ahid was supposed to compete for the national team in obstacle sports at the 2020 ASEAN Para Games, but was cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic.</p><p>&quot;Ang saya lang na habang nagre-race doon, actually, naisip ko yun na somehow I get to represent Philippines. Kahit hindi man fully, pero andito ako. I&#x27;m a Filipino. I&#x27;m a Filipino adaptive athlete. Sobrang nakatuwa. Isa yun sa mga factor kung bakit humagugol ako after noong race,&quot; Ahid shared.</p><p>&quot;I mean, hindi siya totally sa Olympics, pero to be able to carry our flag, it&#x27;s such an honor for someone like me na I think I did my best sa mga trainings and everything. Yung preparation for that. Kaya, sobrang nakatawa na somehow I get to carry our flag. Sabi ko, somehow na-fulfill ko naman yung dream ko and na-represent natin yung Philippines,&quot; he added.</p><div><br/></div><div><strong>ACCESSIBILITY, REPRESENTATION </strong></div><p>Aside from representing the flag, Ahid was also carrying with him the adaptive athlete community, whom he wants to be more seen and represented especially in sports.</p><p> &quot;I hope this becomes a way na magkaroon ng maraming Filipino adaptive athletes na sumali sa mga hybrid games like HYROX,&quot; he said.</p><div><iframe class="instagram-media instagram-media-rendered" id="instagram-embed-2" src="https://www.instagram.com/reel/DYYplNEvwG4/embed/captioned/?cr=1&amp;v=14&amp;wp=1026&amp;rd=https%3A%2F%2Fod2-workbench-web.abs-cbn.com&amp;rp=%2F#%7B%22ci%22%3A2%2C%22os%22%3A8988700%7D" allowtransparency="true" allowfullscreen="" frameBorder="0" height="1149" data-instgrm-payload-id="instagram-media-payload-2" scrolling="no" style="background:white;max-width:540px;width:calc(100% - 2px);border-radius:3px;border:1px solid rgb(219, 219, 219);box-shadow:none;display:block;margin:0px 0px 12px;min-width:326px;padding:0px"></iframe></div><script async="" src="//www.instagram.com/embed.js"></script><p>The 30-year-old said the main goal is to raise awareness for adaptive sports, while pushing for better accessibility and inclusion.</p><p> &quot;What really matters most is yung way on how we make yung mga sports be more accessible and inclusive when it comes to us mga PWDs, mga adaptive athletes. Kasi although we know that most sports naman are really accessible na, and we can find ways naman on how to modify things sa mga sports,&quot; Ahid said.</p><p> &quot;Yung accessibility natin when it comes to time, sa access natin, sa mobility namin mga PWDs going to that sports, malaking factor din siya. So, it&#x27;s in some way parang better siya if we&#x27;ll include yung mga universal design or we put in mind yung mga PWDs, mga adaptive athletes in everything that we do,&quot; he explained.</p><div><br/></div><div><strong>KEEP MOVING FORWARD</strong></div><p>Ahid hopes his story, one of grit and resilience, will show others that life goes on and we choose how we keep moving forward.</p><p>&quot;Somehow, mag-open up yung door na bigla ka palang pwede magawa yung mga gusto mo lang dating gawin na akala mo hindi mo na magagawa. I feel really grateful na meron mga opportunities for me like this na to do things na gusto ko lang dati and now nagagawa ko na siya,&quot; he shared.</p><p>&quot;And sobrang nakakatuwa yung gift of movement kasi parang alam mo yun na hindi naman lahat ng tao is nakakagalaw freely on their own. And ako na alam naman na medyo may challenges parin sa ibang aspect ng life pero you get to move sa mga races, sa mga daily movement natin na kung kaya pang nating gawin, might as well do it,&quot; Ahid added.</p><div><iframe class="instagram-media instagram-media-rendered" id="instagram-embed-5" src="https://www.instagram.com/p/DWOwAsBEeW8/embed/captioned/?cr=1&amp;v=14&amp;wp=1026&amp;rd=https%3A%2F%2Fod2-workbench-web.abs-cbn.com&amp;rp=%2F#%7B%22ci%22%3A5%2C%22os%22%3A9161559%7D" allowtransparency="true" allowfullscreen="" frameBorder="0" height="1097" data-instgrm-payload-id="instagram-media-payload-5" scrolling="no" style="background:white;max-width:540px;width:calc(100% - 2px);border-radius:3px;border:1px solid rgb(219, 219, 219);box-shadow:none;display:block;margin:0px 0px 12px;min-width:326px;padding:0px"></iframe></div><script async="" src="//www.instagram.com/embed.js"></script><p>Ahid sees his disability as something that does not hold him back, but as a source of strength to keep moving forward with life.</p><p>&quot;Still I can&#x27;t imagine Amir without a disability kasi parang I&#x27;ve made my life around it na and what we did is we just have to be creative sa disability natin. And sobrang laking part na ng life ko and ng personality ko yung disability ko kasi all throughout my growing years, with being disabled, sobrang pinalakas na yung loob ko,&quot; Ahid shared.</p><p>&quot;Kaya nakakatuwa na I get to push through and I get to keep moving forward with despite my disability. And actually hindi nga na siya despite eh. Parang in spite of my disability, nakakatuwa na I could still do things na I really wanted to,&quot; he said.</p><p>Aside from representing adaptive athletes, Ahid is also an advocate for cancer patients, cancer survivors and the LGBT community.</p><p>&quot;I think one thing in common with adaptive athletes, PWDs, LGBT community, and the cancer survivors, and caregivers actually sa community ko with Kaya, one thing in common with that is yung inclusivity. Kasi at some point, lahat ng community na iyon, we felt somehow being away from the majority of the society. Pero right now, parang it&#x27;s really good and it&#x27;s really great actually to see na each communities of that is being accepted. I think not fully accepted, sometimes tolerated pa rin naman talaga,&quot; he said.</p><p>&quot;Sobrang naka-inspire na we should keep moving. We should continue what we are doing na we promote inclusivity in any way and everywhere. Kasi what matters most is we welcome everyone and we just not welcome them. We let them feel belong to everything that we do,&quot; Ahid said.</p><p>After his HYROX debut, Ahid was crowned champion of the Open Men&#x27;s Solo category at the Bench Active Hybrid Games Leg 2 with a time of 20 minutes and 52 seconds.</p><p>As Ahid continues to break barriers and challenge his limits, his next goal is compete in another edition of HYROX with fellow adaptive athlete Kent Tumangan in doubles.</p><p>&quot;Although wala pang adaptive doubles talaga for HYROX, we want to show somehow that kahit na parehas kami ng PWDs or adaptive athletes, I think we can do it,&quot; he shared.</p><p>When asked what his advice is for those who want to start their fitness journey, Ahid kept it short and simple.</p><p>&quot;I think, just start. Kahit baby steps yan. Kahit running man yan or kung ano man yung gusto nyong i-start. Mapa-Spartan Race, HYROX or any kind of fitness goal. What matters most din is we start,&quot; he said.</p><p>&quot;Sobrang laking factor nang nag-start tayo or na we show up for not just for our community, not just for our family or friends. What matters most is we show up for ourselves din. Kaya ayun, just show up,&quot; Ahid shared.</p>

<p>Filipino adaptive athlete Ameer Ahid is the living embodiment of his favorite quote and famous movie line 'keep moving forward.'</p>

Filipino adaptive athlete Ameer Ahid is the living embodiment of his favorite quote and famous movie line 'keep moving forward.'

How adaptive athlete Ameer Ahid inspires others, champions inclusion

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How adaptive athlete Ameer Ahid inspires others, champions inclusion

Paige Javier,

ABS-CBN News

Published June 07, 2026 02:31 PM PHT

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Updated June 07, 2026 02:42 PM PHT

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Adaptive Athlete

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Ameer Ahid

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