Roger Tapia

When he was in Grade 5, Roger Tapia’s older brother, then in high school, was a runner who became a strong influence in Roger’s life. He followed in his brother’s footsteps and started by running around their neighborhood in Barangay Pasaleng in Pagudpud. He has not stopped running since.

In elementary and until high school, Roger was teased for having only one arm and a speech disability. He learned to ignore the taunts and started to become more and more confident when he started bringing home medals from competitions.

With family and friends as inspiration, he achieved his dream of qualifying in the 2012 London Paralympic Games.–Artha Kira Paredes