Keep on pushing...

This guy is a god!!!! Nakaka-inspire. Hindi siya nauubusan, kahit ilang taon na....Ibang klase. This is the stuff every person is SUPPOSED to made of....Pero hindi ko alam paano to maa-achieve....Share ko lang, sana ma-inspire din kayo :)....

From ROCK & ICE'S ONLINE MAGAZINE....


SHARMA CRANKS YET ANOTHER 5.15


Yes, again. On February 20, Chris Sharma finished the first ascent of Demencia Senil (5.15a) in Margalef, Spain. Sharma has tucked another 5.15a and two 5.15b redpoints under his belt in the last year alone

Sharma has been climbing for 14 years, and  that’s a very long time to be at the top of a brutal game. Shredded shoulders, rolled ankles, and snapped tendons have ended many a season. In a sport where mental tenacity is as important as muscle, the added pressure of sponsors, competition, and the climbing limelight have driven still more climbers off the radar. Sharma has been pushing himself for a dozen years and shows no signs of letting up.

His first route at his local gym, Pacific Edge, was a 5.10b. Not bad for a 12-year-old kid, but not hugely impressive. Two years later, he won Nationals in bouldering, and a year after that, he established the country’s first 5.14c, Necessary Evil in the Virgin River Gorge. His ticks since then are essentially a list of the hardest and most famous routes and problems in the world. The Mandala (V12), Realization (5.15a), Witness the Fitness (V15), Dreamcatcher (5.14d), Three Degrees of Separation (5.14d), La Rambla Direct (5.15a), Es Pontas (5.15a/b), Papichulo (5.15a), Jumbo Love (5.15b), Golpe de Estado (5.15b), and now Demencia Senil.

Currently living in Spain, putting up one hard sport route after another, Sharma’s newest line may be named after senile dementia, but judging from his performances in the last 12 months, old age is a very, very long way off.

Photo credit: Pete O'Donovan, from Daila Ojeda's blog

Eye openers from the Australian Open

Watching another Federer-Nadal match made me realize something: I'm predisposed to root for the underdog.

Ever since Nadal started becoming a threat to the Swiss champion, I've always cheered Nadal on, wanting him SO much to win simply because I wanted to see someone new on top. Federer has been breezing through the tournaments, majors

 or not, and it would've been just refreshing to find someone else to receive the first prize. And I couldn't see anyone else more deserving of that glorious position than Nadal, given his improving performance match after match, year after year. He deserved to win with all his hard work!!!

But since Roger's loss on grass last year, the tables ha

ve turned. And in this Australian Open, I was whispering my prayers for Roger.

...

So it was another dramatic Federer-Nadal final.

I wouldn't say it was as epic as their Wimbledon encounter (none of those stupid rain delays!), but just as amazing nonetheless, simply because the

y are possibly the only two who can endure the long

est rallies and conjure the most out-of-this-world winners at the same time! And what made it quite a show was really the suspense, because you could never say who would seal each set. First set pa lang, they broke each other twice! Roger's serves kept giving him aces -- on the other hand, he had lots of double faults and missed f

irst serves as well! There were moments when Rafa's groundstrokes would consistently be long, causing him to lose point after point...only to find that Roger would later commit even more unforced errors.

Though the thought had been scratching at the back of my mind since Roger's loss in the 3rd set tiebreak, it was really only in the last set when I

 finally recognized it and started to lose hope. Roger was just really unable to win the crucial points. He had A LOT of chances to break Nadal in the games leading up to the tiebreak, but Rafa was just relentless. Roger was superb in mixing up the shots and the plays -- and executed them really well! -- but Rafa always had that extra energy to run and hit back, much to Roger's surprise almost every time!

I was still hoping and praying in the final set...cou

nt on me to not give up...but what can I say? It seems the pressure has caught up Federer. And  it was such a sorry sight. From the moment of loss to the awarding ceremony where he literally choked up and cried, I couldn't help but shed a few tears as well. I love Rafa and admire his discipline and still-accumulating-skill and believe that he deserves this win, but I can't help but feel deep sympathy for Roger.

Like I said, I'm predisposed to root for the under

dog. So even if the Greatest Players Of  All Time were putting their bets behind Federer on this match, I've always felt that the mental/emotional battle is always the toughest, which was why I saw him as the one with the bigger disadvantage. Nadal had all the reason to be confident and empowered -- he had been winning all his recent matches and swimming in great reviews. Federer, on the other hand, had been struggling to reach the final rounds. Add to that the various pressures...Internally, he's af

ter the 14th grand slam title to tie Pete Sampras' record; he used to dominate Nadal on the hard court surface; he'd like to redeem himself in the same tournament where he first one a major grand slam. Externally, people can't pick any better opportunity for Federer to rise to the challenge given Nadal's "disadvantage" of being tired from the Verdasco semi-final, and Nadal's first time in the Australian Open finals.

It was hard not to feel for Roger. Especially sinc

e he is such a distinguished, calm man, never flinching in his game and interviews, no matter how daunting the challenges are. But I guess we all have are moments of weakness. When we can no longer pretend to be strong and together. And in times like these, we just have to let the moment be, and allow the people around us to comfort us and share their strength. Like Rafa so graciously and humbly said, "I really know how you feel. But remember -- you are one of the best players of the history and you

 are going to improve the 14 of Sampras. It is always a pleasue to play you and best of luck for the rest of the year."

Now, it is just a matter of Roger believing in himself as much as others believe in him. Maybe, hopefully, that will make all the difference.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

*Photos from http://www.australianopen.com/en_AU/index.html