From her so-called ‘accidental swimming skill discovery’, Lovely Pauline continuously grows as a ‘water burst fairy’, unafraid of every wave this life as a swimmer may bring her.

Iba, Zambales—16-year old Lovely Pauline Floresca, a three-time Palarong Pambansa qualifier from Zambales National High School, has been named as one of Region III’s formidable players with her seven-gold finish in swimming during the 2018 Central Luzon Regional Athletic Association (CLRAA) Meet held at Malolos, Bulacan, February 26 to March 2.

Having started as a Junior Lifeguard which requires swimming skills, Lovely Pauline who was then 12 years old started to appreciate that ‘water sport’ upon winning in one of the lifeguarding competitions.

“I never thought that swimming would be a big part of my life. I used to be scared of swimming, and now it’s something that I do everyday,” she said while recalling how much she has embraced the sport that she was once afraid of.

With a total of 13 golds from three consecutive CLRAA Meets since 2016, Floresca leads the roster of the 704-strong Central Luzon Patriots Delegation Team all set for the conduct of the Palarong Pambansa to be held on April 15 to 21 in Vigan, Ilocos Sur.

“CL Patriots, the new moniker of the CLRAA Athletic Team, represents the passion and resilience of the young athletes from Region III. We aspire that our delegates will be able to stand out in their respective events and further improve themselves with the ultimate goal of representing Central Luzon in the upcoming Palarong Pambansa,” said Malcolm Garma, DepEd RO3 Regional Director.

Anchored on the theme, “Championing the Spirit of Young Filipino Athletes,” the annual multi-sporting event will convene some 10,000 student athletes and sports officials from 17 regions.

“We hope that Region 3 can clinch a better finish this year in the upcoming Palarong Pambansa and improve our over-all standing from being in 10^th rank among the regional delegations last year,” Garma added.l