Press ReleaseRTL CBS Asia Entertainment NetworkSpartan raceSpartan Ultimate Team ChallengeXenos and Claire Soto
Proudly Filipino: The OFW couple who inspire Fitness Enthusiasts one Spartan Race at a time
From Pia
Wurtzbach and Monique Lhuillier to 4th Impact, Filipinos have raised
the national flag high and proud wherever they are in the world. Filipinos
abroad are known for their talent and hard work, and many serve as living proof
that anything can be attained through sheer determination. Such is the
inspiration brought by Xenos and Claire Soto—two of many other Filipinos who’ve
raised homegrown values in a foreign land to achieve success not just for
themselves, but also for others.
The husband
and wife moved to Singapore in 2008 during the global recession. During these
trying times, challenges came to their lives as soon as they moved. Equipped
with high hopes and dreams, the couple went ahead and did what they felt was
necessary to make things work.
“There were lots of soul-searching
and tears. You learn to swallow your pride, knowing that you do not know
everything, and that being away from home you start from nothing,” Claire said.
“It just takes a lot of work and time getting used to the different culture,
and finding the best way to move your head around it to survive.”
Life soon got
better for the couple. Both managed to get good jobs in their respective
professions; Xenos as an engineer and Claire as an architect. Stress from work
would always come their way, but they learned to cope by staying active. Claire
was into running, cardio workouts, and yoga, while Xenos was into ball games,
marathons, and martial arts. It was their enthusiasm for fitness that led them
to the Spartan Race. Seeing it on TV, Xenos thought the race looked fun, so he
signed up hoping to conquer the obstacles himself.
Being
physically active made it easy for Xenos to prepare for the race. Throughout
his training, Claire joined him not only inside the gym, but also in following
a healthy diet. Eventually, the workouts motivated Claire to sign up for a
Spartan Race three weeks prior the event. “My wife and I were both hyped and
excited after the November 2015 Sprint that we decided to register again for
the Spartan Super,” Xenos said.
During
Spartan Race training sessions, Xenos and Claire formed a group with like-minded
Filipinos who shared the same interests in fitness. The group gradually grew to
over 30 members, now calling itself TeamBato. Meaning 'rock’ in Filipino,
“bato” stood as a metaphor for toughness and endurance—a good representation of
the Filipino spirit as well as the team’s enthusiasm for pushing past their
limits.
It was by training with the team
that the couple discovered a new role in keeping the fervor alive among the
members: “When we got into the Spartan lifestyle, we had
something better to look forward to every Sunday, the Spartan community workout
day,” Claire said.
Xenos too
began to take his passion to new heights as he worked towards becoming the first
Filipino certified Spartan Race trainer. Together with his wife, he would push himself further to inspire his teammates,
reminding TeamBato that hard work always pays off, and humility will take them
farther.
“During training, I see people around me
disappointed when they were unable to do particular obstacles. I learned to
become a teacher, a motivator, and became more patient in helping people,”
Xenos said. “I share all the techniques I know, and ask them to take their time
and not rush. In time, it’s a bigger fulfillment for me when they can already do
the obstacles.”
Similar to
the couple’s Spartan Race journey, the American competition series Spartan: Ultimate Team Challenge
showcases an obstacle course that would prove difficult even for the most
determined and disciplined athlete. Known as the hardest obstacle course
challenge on the planet, the race faces off teams composed of two men, two
women, and an elite Spartan athlete in a one-mile run designed to test everything
they are made of.
The Spartan:
Ultimate Team Challenge airs every Saturday on RTL CBS Extreme, 9:35PM. Follow
us at www.facebook.com/RTLCBSExtreme
as well as at @rtlcbsextreme on
Twitter and Instagram for more updates.
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