By Edwin Rollon
Sophia Rose Garra proved that age is no barrier to brilliance as she stole the spotlight from her more seasoned rivals by resetting two national age-group records in the 2025 Philippine Aquatics, Inc. (PAI) National Tryouts for the 33rd Southeast Asian Games over the weekend at the Teofilo Yldefonso Swimming Center in Malate.
A protégé of Olympian backstroker Jenny Guerrero at the WaveRunners Swim Club, the 13-year-old Malabon City native clocked 1:06.50 in the girls’ 100-meter backstroke, erasing the previous 13-under record of 1:06.65 she herself set last April at the Smart Juniors Nationals.
The multi-titled Palarong Pambansa standout accomplished the feat despite swimming against an elite cast led by Olympic medalist Kayla Sanchez, who ruled the event in 1:02.38, followed by Cambodia SEA Games champion Xiandi Chua (1:03.07), veteran internationalist Quendy Fernandez (1:03.23), 2023 SEA Games titlist Teia Isabelle Salvino (1:03.85), and 2022 champion Chloe Isleta (1:03.91). All surpassed the qualifying standard time of 1:05.17, but under SEAG rules, only the top two athletes per event will advance to the Games in Bangkok this December.
On opening day Friday, Garra also rewrote her own mark in the 50-meter backstroke, touching in 30.70 seconds to better the 31.00 she posted in April.
“Gusto ko lang po na makuha yung best performance ko at hindi ko na iniisip na may pressure,” Garra said after her record-breaking swim. “Seeing my name next to these big athletes is already an honor. Breaking the record again makes me even more motivated.”
The 13-year-old admitted she draws strength from her training under Guerrero. “Coach Jenny always tells me to trust my stroke and believe in myself. That’s what I tried to do in every lap,” she added.
Her mentor was beaming with pride. “Sophia is very disciplined for her age. She listens, she works hard, and she never gives up,” Guerrero said. “These records are just the beginning. If she keeps this focus, she has the potential to be one of the country’s best backstrokers.”
PAI Secretary General Eric Buhain was quick to commend the teenager: “Congratulations, Sophia Rose Garra, for breaking not just one, but two national age group records! Your hard work, dedication, and passion for the sport are truly inspiring.”
While Garra dazzled with her record-breaking swims, national team mainstays and foreign-based standouts likewise asserted their dominance on the penultimate day of the three-day trials.
Chua bolstered her bid as the country’s top local bet by winning the girls’ 200m individual medley in 2:18.38, beating Isleta (2:21.87) and Shairinne Floriano (2:27.01), and breaching the qualifying time standard (QTS) of 2:18.47.
Sanchez, a 2020 Tokyo Olympic relay silver medalist for Canada who has since switched allegiance to the Philippines, topped the girls’ 200m freestyle in 2:01.41, comfortably below the 2:07.17 QTS. Fellow Fil-British tanker Heather White also qualified in the event with a 2:05.40 finish.
Sanchez added another SEAG event after placing second in the 50m butterfly at 27.46, behind Fil-Am Miranda Renner (27.34), with both under the 27.69 QTS.
Other foreign-based swimmers also made their presence felt. Fil-Am Gian Christopher Santos dominated the boys’ 200m freestyle in 1:51.61, breaching the 1:51.74 QTS against local challengers Miguel Barreto (1:52.61) and Nathan Farrell Jao (1:52.70).
Fil-Japanese Logan Wataru Noguchi took the boys’ 50m butterfly in 24.30, under the 24.36 QTS, and later qualified in the 100m backstroke with a 56.76-second swim, just behind Fil-Canadian Joran Paul Orogo (56.67).
Other gold medalists who fell short of the QTS included Santos in the 200m IM (2:05.24 vs. 2:04.54), Renner in the 50m breaststroke (32.91 vs. 32.70), Kyla Louise Bulaga in the girls’ 800m freestyle (9:44.17 vs. 9:20.77), and Rafael Isip in the boys’ 50m breaststroke (29.50 vs. 28.41).
For Garra, however, the weekend will be remembered not just for the medals but for the confidence it gave her. “I know I still have a lot to learn, but this is just the beginning,” she said. “One day, I want to swim for the country in the SEA Games and Olympics. That’s my dream.”
With her breakout performance, Garra has already cemented her status as one of the brightest young stars of Philippine swimming — proof that the country’s next wave of champions is already making a splash.
