Filipino-American Club of the Jersey Shore, Monmouth County, New Jersey, filamorg.com

This is the reason, about two years ago, my friend and colleague Joy Rojas told me that she planned on running across the US. Without missing a beat, I told her, “Wow, that’s great! Kaya mo ’yan!”

It wasn’t a polite put-on when I told her that. I was already inspired by her last feat. Four years ago, on February 19, 2005, Joy reached the beautiful sands of Pagudpud to culminate a 46-day, 2,000-kilometer run that began in Davao City in Mindanao, and ended at the tip of Luzon in the Ilocos region. Calling it “Hakbang Pangarap,” Joy literally ran after her dream, mingled with communities between her running breaks, and became the first woman to run across the Philippines.

This year as most members of the growing running community know by now, she will attempt to do another crazy feat: running across the US. She had held onto her dream to run across the Philippines for seven years, and when it was done, she thought, “That’s it?” Then, in her own words, she told us, “I realized that maybe running across the Philippines didn’t have to mean the end of a dream, but the start of many others.”...

On May 11, 2009, on Joy’s 44th birthday, her Trans-USA run will finally happen (Joy has started the journey) .  Joy, who has always been painfully shy and self-effacing—even if she is a recognized writer and editor—found herself thinking twice or thrice about getting sponsors to help finance her team’s run and for her project’s beneficiaries.

But a good thing always gets noticed. Pretty soon, a group of volunteers were meeting on how to make Takbong Pangarap a reality. If someone knew the contact person of a certain company, then that person was to send the project’s concept to the company and worked on setting up a meeting with the group.

People would always ask us, her friends, why are you doing this? Maybe we’re just as crazy. But, also, because Joy’s unflagging spirit and dogged determination has always inspired us. In the book, One Month to Live 30 Days to a No-Regrets Life, writers Kerry and Chris Shook writes, “We were not designed to be slaves to time. We were created to be active and present in the lives we’ve been given. Make the most of your time by spending it on a legacy that will last long after your time on earth. Do it today!”

And, I guess, for Joy and for most of us, this is what Takbong Pangarap—Joy’s and our run of a lifetime—is all about.

Lean but mean

Takbong Pangarap will consist of a three-member team that includes Joy; her running partner Mateo Macabe, who will act as pacer and navigator; and Chuck Crisanto, who will be the team’s coordinator.

Mat was also part of Joy’s team during her Trans-Philippines run while Chuck, whom Joy met at around the same time, enjoyed running when he was young and overcame flat footedness to become an Ateneo track and field record holder in the long-distance event. Chuck has also served in various professional capacities under four Philippine presidents.

He says what drew him to the project was the fact that he is inspired by the dream of Joy to exceed herself. For Takbong Pangarap, Chuck will work on the technical aspects of the run.

Joy will be running for 120 days, or about 5,000 km, crossing 12 states (California, Nevada, Utah, Colorado, Nebraska, Iowa, Illinois, Indiana, Ohio, Pennsylvania, New Jersey and New York). Chuck explains that her run will start at Eaglepoint in California, where she’ll be joined by various running organizations as a send-off activity. From there, the group is expected to dwindle until she’ll be running alone with her core Takbong Pangarap Team: Chuck in a support vehicle and Mat who’ll be running (or, at times, biking) with Joy.

From California, there are also plans of running across the Mojave Desert up to Las Vegas, Nevada. (Incidentally, Team Takbong Pangarap will be arriving in Las Vegas about the same time that the much-awaited Manny Pacquiao-Ricky Hatton boxing match will be happening.)

Joy will be covering an average of 50 km a day on a predetermined route. She will also be visiting Filipino communities along the route upon reaching their destination. In her interactions, her talk will center on what the team experienced during the day, and how possible it is to achieve a seemingly impossible dream (like running across America) if one is willing to work for it.

Members of the communities will also be encouraged to share their own dreams, an activity that gets people to think about their personal goals in life, and whether they’re serious and passionate enough to pursue it.

Team Filipino

AND in the true Filipino bayanihan spirit, volunteers have been helping Joy and her team make Takbong Pangarap a reality by donating their time and effort to coordinate in the US and pull together funds for the project.

So far, those who have joined the project include The Manila Peninsula, Smart Communications, HSBC, Adidas, Sony Ericsson, Rustan’s Shopwise, Coach T-shirts and Sen. Pia Cayetano. Hopefully, the project can get more good companies and individuals to support the team.

Of course, other volunteers in Joy’s team are PR expert Joy Buensalido, who is generously helping Joy share her story with media both to raise awareness for her causes and to help her raise funds; project consultant Anthony Gaw, a respected figure in the advertising and events industry; and yours truly, who has volunteered to be Joy’s personal cheerleader, “Go, Joy, go!”

Joy has been chiding me for being part of the project without even having seen her run. But, I always say, I believe in her and her causes. My vision of her doing a slow-mo run as she reaches Central Park, New York, on September 8 has never waned. This time, I tease her, we (her friends) will definitely hand her something better than an unceremonious potted plant, which was what she got when she finished her run in Pagudpud.

Takbong Pangarap has gone beyond one woman’s dream. In tough times like this where our enthusiasm and persistence are greatly tested, the connection that the project has so far made among people who want to simply help and make it happen—from the local volunteers to the families and Fil-Am organizations who have expressed their willingness to take in Joy’s team during the run—all show that, indeed, there’s no limit to the Filipino spirit.

***For inquiries and/or support for Takbong Pangarap: Buensalido and Associates Public Relations, 817-4471 or 892-3520."