“I’m committed to my sport to encourage women. Living this lifestyle also allows me to encourage more people – because this is also for their health, so that everyone can live longer lives for their families. And this will be my life until the day I die,” says Emily Fabros Nillusguin, an ultramarathon runner and children’s running coach.
On her earliest running days
Emily Fabros Nillusguin has earned her right to speak such strong words.
Emily was born in Nueva Vizcaya, where her parents supported her and her seven siblings as farmers. When she turned 13 years old, her older brother assigned her one of their more difficult chores. Every day after school, Emily went up the mountain, taking on a trail about five kilometers long. Here, she fetched firewood and fruits for her family, and she would descend the mountain with this load on her shoulders, with no complaints.
As each day passed, Emily grew faster and stronger – which her older brother noticed. “Nakita ng kapatid ko na lumalakas yung katawan ko sa bawat pag-akyat at pagbaba ng bundok. Sinabi niya, ‘Yung lakas mo, gamitin mo sa mabuti.’”
Emily took her brother’s words to heart. She moved to Baguio shortly after, where she stayed with her relatives. Here, she took the strength and speed she gained from the mountains of Nueva Vizcaya, and ran on the roads of Baguio. At 14 years old, Emily started to run to support her family.
“Nung simula, mga fun run, fun run lang. Nagsimula ako sa 5K kasi halos same distance nung inaakyat ko sa bundok. Tapos n’on, sinubukan mo na yung 10K. Lahat ng pinapanalunan ko, pinapadala ko sa mga magulang ko,” Emily shares about her earliest years in running.
Emily recalled how difficult it was to train to win runs and be away from her family. After months of continuously competing, Emily’s mother saw that her daughter was beginning to wear herself out. “Pinatigil ako ng nanay ko sa pagtakbo. Sabi niya, ‘Nanay ako. Obligasyon ko dapat ang alagaan kayo.’”
Emily didn’t take this order from her mother too well, but she knew she had to listen. “Masama ang loob ko noon kasi malaking tulong sa mga magulang ko yung premyo na napapanalunan ko sa pagtakbo. At naisip ko rin na sana balang araw makilala rin ako, at mai–shashare ko sa ibang tao yung kwento ko. Pero kahit pa papaano, sa saglit na panahon, naibigay ko ang lakas ko sa pamilya ko.”
Photo by Charisma Lico, Edge of Light; Make-up by April Feliciano; Hair by Jannet Saberon. Clothes by Running Skirts and Alii Sport, Shoes by Saucony, and Shoelaces by EZLaces – all from AtletaAko.com.
Photo by Charisma Lico, Edge of Light; Make-up by April Feliciano; Hair by Jannet Saberon. Clothes by Running Skirts, Shoes by Saucony, and Shoelaces by EZLaces – all from AtletaAko.com.
When God has another plan
“Kung hindi ako pwede tumakbo, iaalay ko na lang ako buhay ko sa Diyos.”
After her short-lived running stint, Emily decided to join a group of missionaries and live in church. She spent years making her faith her mission, and she busied herself by teaching others about religion.
When Emily was 22, she met a man at Burnham Park. They first spoke about faith, but shortly after, this developed into a more personal, meaningful conversation.
“Nakilala ko si Ron sa Burnham Park. Nasa Baguio siya para sa retreat kasama ng mga katrabaho niya. Namasyal sila sa Baguio pagkatapos ng retreat, tapos dun ko siya nakilala,” Emily recalls about meeting her future husband for the first time.
A chance encounter at the park sparked the beginning of a courtship that transcended not just distances, but varying situations in life. Ron was a technical staff from Manila, while Emily was a missionary based in Baguio. Communicating proved to be difficult, as Emily resided in church; letters were their only means of correspondence.
One day, Emily decided to go home – and that it was time for Ron to meet her family. “Binigay ko yung address ko sa Nueva Vizcaya. Sinabi ko na sumama siya sa’kin. Sabi ko na magkita kami sa terminal ng bus.” Emily and Ron, however, did not cross paths at the terminal.
Emily arrived at her family’s home, not knowing that Ron had already made it to Nueva Vizcaya. “Nagtanong-tanong lang siya tapos yung unang nakausap niya ay yung Kuya ko. Tumawag yung Kuya ko ng tricycle, tapos pinadala niya si Ron sa bahay ng Tatay ko.”
“Pag dating niya, yinakap niya ako ng mahigpit. Akala niya kasi hindi na kami magkikita,” Emily continues. “Nagpasalamat ako sa Diyos kasi dun ko nakita na mahal niya ako. Kahit di niya ako nakita sa bus terminal, hinanap pa rin niya ako.”
Ron would continue pursuing his relationship with Emily, making the trip to Nueva Vizcaya every weekend from Manila. Emily and Ron married in 2000.
The past rediscovered, making a way for the future
Almost 11 years of marriage and three children later, Ron discovered something about Emily’s past.
“Nag-anyaya yung katrabaho ni Ron, si Ms. Ella, na sumali kami sa takbo. Nang sinabi niya ‘to sa’kin, hindi ako nagdalawang-isip. Sabi ko, ‘gusto ko ‘yan!’ Gusto ko kasing subukan yung 10K para makita ko kung nandon pa yung lakas ko. Doon ko nakita na hindi nagbago. Mabilis pa rin akong tumakbo kahit nanganak na ako.”
“Hindi ko nasabi kay Ron na tumatakbo ako nung dalaga ako. So dun sa Milo Marathon, tumakbo ako ulit. Naghubad pa ako ng sapatos! Binitbit ko yung sapatos tapos tumakbo ako nang mas mabilis,” Emily shares.
Emily’s first 10K-run in many years allowed Ron to see her skill in running. “Sabi ni Ron, ‘Bakit hindi mo sinabi sa’kin na tumatakbo ka pala dati? Sana natulungan kita.’”
With Ron’s encouragement, Emily started to train in running again. After bringing her three children to school, she devoted some time to regaining her strength: “I train by doing lunges, jumping jacks, planks, squats, burpees, and pushups. I also use the jump rope.” Ron would accompany her every Saturday and Sunday for her long runs to Timberland and to Antipolo, then back to Marikina.
It wasn’t an easy start for Emily, who was used to running longer and faster when she was younger, but she eventually found her feet with Ron’s help. “Si Ron ang nag-train sa’kin. Sabi ko kasi sa kanya na papatunayan ko na kaya ko tumabko ulit. Nung una, pinapahirapan ako ni Ron!” Emily jokes. “Patunayan ko raw na kaya ko. So nauuna siya tumakbo – tapos nasa kanya yung tubig naming dalawa! So kailangan ko siyang habulin.” That would change soon enough, as Emily recovered her running ability. “Ngayon, ako na ang may hawak ng tubig at pagkain pag tumatakbo kami. Siya na humahabol sa’kin ngayon!”
Emily and Ron have joined many long races together, declaring themselves a running tandem. But out of all of their runs, Emily’s most memorable feat was earning third place at the ‘Patibayan’ event held at the Quezon City Circle. Here, Emily ran for 24 hours, logging hundreds of kilometers on the road over the entire weekend. It wasn’t an easy accomplishment, and Emily knew she couldn’t have done it without Ron. “Hindi ko na malabanan ang antok ko. Si Ron, hawak niya yung kamay ko habang tumatakbo. Pumipikit-pikit yung mga mata ko at si Ron yung naging guide ko. ‘Kaya mo yan, Ma. Lumaban ka,” sabi niya. Pinapalakas niya yung loob ko, hawak-hawak niya ako. Hanggang nahimasmasn ako, tapos bumawi ako, kahit tanghaling tapat at mainit. Di ko inakala na magthi-third place pa ako!”
“Inalay ko ito kay Ron. Dahil hindi ako dapat mananalo kung wala siya.”
Photo by Charisma Lico, Edge of Light; Make-up by April Feliciano; Hair by Jannet Saberon. Clothes by Running Skirts and Alii Sport, Shoes by Saucony, and Shoelaces by EZLaces – all from AtletaAko.com.
Photo by Charisma Lico, Edge of Light; Make-up by April Feliciano; Hair by Jannet Saberon. Clothes by Running Skirts, Shoes by Saucony, and Shoelaces by EZLaces – all from AtletaAko.com.
Running, and its higher purpose
After years of running together, Emily and Ron decided that it wasn’t enough for them to just join races – it was time for them to do something else together.
In 2014, Emily and Ron formed the Liksi Barangay Sto. Niño Youth Runners group in their barangay. “Dito kasi sa’min… maraming kabataan na nalululong sa droga, sa masamang bisyo. Kaya naisipan namin ni Ron na kung anong natutuhan namin sa running, ituro namin para ilayo sila sa masasama.”
Every day after school, Emily and Ron teach a group of neighborhood children everything they know about running. On Saturdays and Sundays, the group went on their long runs. Their first batch grew to 43 students shortly after they started, with their ages ranging from 14 to 16 years old.
The couple does coaching for free. They also shoulder the expenses for the races their group joins – everything from transportation, food, water, and race fees.
“Kailangan hubugin mo sila,” says Emily. “Para pwede mo silang isali sa laban.”
In their first batch of students, 20 have won races so far, in different distances.
Emily and Ron have begun teaching their second batch, comprised of children ages five to seven. 11 have joined so far, and the couple are expecting this group to grow.
“Sa awa ng Diyos, nakikinig sila sa amin. Nagpapasalamat pa yung mga magulang nila kasi nilalayo namin yung mga mga anak nila sa masamang bagay,” Emily shares. “Kailangan lang ng kaunting tiyaga at pasensisya. Para kaming nagkaroon ng mga bagong anak!” Emily jokes.
Emily shares that her experiences from as a young runner and, now, and as a mother drive her to keep on doing this for the community. Her knowledge of running, along with Ron’s, have allowed them both to remain strong not just individually, but as a couple. “Kaya gusto namin i-share kung anong natutuhan namin. Hindi lang sa pagtakbo – pati na rin ang pagtulong sa kapwa.”
“Lahat ito, para sa kalugusan, sa karangalan. At sa Diyos. Dahil kung wala siya, hindi natin ito kaya lahat.”
More information on the Liksi Barangay Sto. Niño Youth Runners may be found here.
Emily’s Journey
Photos from Emily Fabros
