Ambassadors of health
Be active, stay healthy and enjoy life—and that’s their game plan. By Mae Astrid Tobias

Akiko Thompson, Rovilson Fernandez, Tricia Chiongbian and Carlo Ledesma have been into sports long before they became hosts of Gameplan, the Philippines' premiere sports magazine program on television. Thompson is a highly accomplished national athlete, bringing home the gold in international swimming competitions. Fernandez, who grew up in the U.S., plays American football, basketball and baseball. Chiongbian has been into tennis, volleyball and lacrosse ever since her elementary school days. Ledesma is an avid rock climber.

EXTREME ASSIGNMENTS
As Gameplan hosts, the four have been exposed to a wide range of sports and adventures. They were once pitted against kids in a competition featuring popular Filipino games where, Rovilson recounts, "I had so much fun. I was the biggest kid there."

Thompson has tried streetluge, a new sport where a rider with "a hyped-up skateboard and adrenaline to match" lies flat on his back as he careens downhill, reaching speeds of over 80 kph. She did not exactly relish the experience.

"We had to do a tap dancing shoot a couple of [months] ago and that was extremely difficult," says Ledesma, who once took up the challenge of participating in a cardio striptease session. Originating in Los Angeles and inspired by exotic dancers and go-go boys, cardio striptease is an hour-long cardio workout that aims to build confidence and self-esteem through sexual, erotic yet athletic exercises. A very game Ledesma found it impossible to keep a straight face during the workout.

TEAM ADVENTURE
Thompson and Chiongbian admit they'd love to go to Batanes in one of their future episodes. Fernandez says he'd kill for the chance to cover the Olympics, especially in Athens. Ledesma dreams of having front-row seats (i.e., inside an underwater cage) to a feeding frenzy of great white sharks. For the longest time, all four hosts have been waiting for the skydiving story to come to fruition.

The four were introduced to adventure racing through Gameplan; now, they can't get enough of it. "We join adventure races even if they're not for Gameplan," says Thompson. That they've got great chemistry is a big advantage. "We know our weaknesses and strengths," says Thompson. "I remember [our] first adventure race," says Ledesma. "[The show's producers] told me to go to this photo shoot and 'just wear rubber shoes and shorts.' At day's end, I wanted to die. But I also realized that the sport was really fun."

"The thing was we didn't know what we were getting into," says Fernandez. "We didn't realize how conditioned you had to be, or how much of a team effort it was, that you [needed to consider] people's strengths and weaknesses. We just went out and ran, literally, and had a good time. Now, we take adventure racing a little more seriously."

The four love team sports. The team shares its victories and setbacks, plus, Fernandez jokes, "if you lose, you can always blame it on somebody."

ADVOCATING HEALTH AND FITNESS
Gameplan aims to make sports part of every Filipino's lifestyle. Ledesma thinks adventure racing is a good way to encourage viewers to become more physically active.

"We want to tell viewers that if the four of us can do it, so can they," Ledesma explains. "One is never too old to start exercising. Anybody can be an athlete."

Because they can never tell what assignments they have to take on in the show, the hosts have to stay in tiptop shape.

"You really have to be fit for the show," says Ledesma. "You can't just pretend to be athletic, to know a sport. I have to stay in shape to be able to keep up, so I won't look like an idiot when I come out on TV."

Thompson has always been conscious about her health, and has grown even more so through the years. Although she also eats junk food from time to time, Thompson drinks lots of water and is very cautious of her food intake. "Just try to eat smart. It's fortunate that my mother is so health-conscious. In the house, we eat like rabbits."

Fernandez and Chiongbian recommend eating right, hitting the gym as often as possible, running and playing basketball, doing anything to sweat.

"I used to [party] a lot," says Ledesma, a self-confessed former smoker. "Ever since Gameplan, I just drink once in a while - a bottle of beer or a glass of wine to go with a good meal. I've never felt better."

Ledesma is into mountain biking and has, so far, succeeded in convincing Chiongbian to get a bike (she hits the road at least twice a week). Fernandez already has a bicycle while Thompson is not sure if she wants to invest in a bike just yet.

A word of caution from Ledesma: "There's no feeling worse than biking downhill at 60 kph and suddenly getting a bug stuck in your eye. You have to have good eye protection."

Ledesma hopes to lead an active lifestyle until he reaches the age of 70. Thompson, on the other hand, wants a sport that she can do when she gets a little older. Right now, she is learning tennis.

STAY HEALTHY, ENJOY LIFE
These ambassadors of health hope Gameplan can encourage people to be active, get a tan, savor the beautiful outdoors and, most of all, enjoy life.