ELMA'S STRANGE AILMENT
By Rey Bancod
KUALA LUMPUR -- For three years, track legend Elma Muros-Posadas has kept from the public a mysterious ailment that has been ravaging her 34-year-old body.
"I can't explain it. It is something that I don't want to talk about, lest I be accused of making alibi. But it has been with me since 1998. Only my will and faith in the Lord have enabled me to keep competing," said Muros who will see action in long jump and the 400-meter low hurdles in the 21st Souhtest Asian Games here.Short of pleading that this not be blown out of proportion, Muros said the ailment could not be diagnosed correctly by the doctors since test conducted showed nothing.Muros has learned to live with the pain which has hampered her training and even her quest for the gold medal.Unknown to most except her husband-coach Jojo and few close friends, Muros was hurting when she won the gold two years ago in Brunei, edging her Vietnamese rival on her sixth and final jump."I left my fate to the Lord then. Kung ano ang gusto niya, tatanggapin ko," said Muros who went to win her eight straight long jump title and her 14th overall.Many thought that it was the last, the final chapter of her career that earned her the distinction as the only track athlete in SEAG history to win in different events -- the long jump, the 100 and 200-meter dashes, the 100 meter and 400-meter hurdles and the heptathlon.Yet, Muros' competitive fire is insatiable."I want to compete. My mind and my heart tell me that I can still do it. That's the most important thing. If I could only give my will and determination to my teammates, I will," said Muros who first saw action in the 1981 SEAG in Manila.To get to the national team, Muros practically begged for her inclusion despite having not competed for a long time due to her lingering ailment.Athletics president Go Teng Tok relented and gave Muros a chance to prove her fitness during the final trials last month.Muros passed the test with flying colors despite little training and preparation, assuring her ninth SEAG appearance.With her big fighting heart and the support of her family, Muros is hoping to nail her ninth straight long jump gold medal."I came here to win," she vowed.
