Help 4 Filipina Race Walkers Make History in Germany

Help 4 Young Filipina Race Walkers Make History at the 2025 Summer World University Games in Germany

Four elite student race walkers—Mary Julianne Bayola, 19, from the University of the Philippines (UP) Diliman, Alana Julianne Halagueña, 23, from UP Diliman, Azeneth Serat, 20, from the University of Santo Tomas (UST), and Juliana Talaro, 22, from UP Diliman—have been invited to compete in the 20km race walk at the 2025 Summer World University Games (Rhine-Ruhr 2025) at Rhine-Ruhr, Germany, from July 21st to 27th this year.

It has been 22 years since a female race walker was included in the Philippine National Team and competed at the Southeast Asian (SEA) Games level.

Due to their outstanding solo achievements, however, these four young female talents have been handpicked and championed by the Federation of School Sports Association of the Philippines (FESSAP) to carry the torch as Team Philippines at Rhine-Ruhr 2025. This could also be their chance to compete in the 20km walk, an event that is not contested in the Philippines, and try to qualify for the SEA Games in December this year.

While race walking is an individual event, the Summer World University Games features a team event where the individual times of athletes from the same team are added together. The total times of each national team are then ranked in order to award the medalists.

To help the team prepare, FESSAP is assisting the athletes with registration for the Games.

All expenses for participating in the Games, however, are to be shouldered by the four athletes, the total of which amounts to about US$8,692.00.

Breakdown of US$8,692.00:

Plane ticket for one athlete – €1,105.00 or about US$1,200.00

Board and lodging for one athlete at €85.00/night for 10 nights – €850.00 or about US$923.00

Insurance for one athlete – €25.00 or about US$27.00

Rhine-Ruhr 2025 participation fee for one athlete – €20.00 or about US$22.00

Total cost of participation for one athlete: €2,000.00 or about US$2,173.00

Total funds needed for all four athletes = €8,000.00 or about US$8,692.00

* Not included: Uniforms, coaching fees, travel tax, allowances, and miscellaneous expenses

This is why Team Philippines needs your urgent support. Help our young champions reach their fundraising goal, so they can shine at Rhine-Ruhr 2025 and bring glory to our motherland. Your generosity is critical in changing sports history for female athletes and race walkers in the Philippines. #LabanPilipinas