BMX rider and Asian Games gold medalist Daniel Caluag was awarded with the most elite recognition as he received the Athlete of the Year award, the highest honor given by the Philippine Sportswriters Association. Daniel Caluag was the lone Filipino athlete who won the only gold medal of the Philippines during the Incheon Asian Games.
The 5-foo-6 Daniel Caluag was once told he was too short to play the sports he loves, BMX riding, but he proved something that is wort mentioning after he represented the Philippines not only in the Asian Games but also in the world’s most prestigious Olympic Games.
During an interview Daniel Caluag was asked if Filipinos would excel in BMX and he just replied “If they wanna do it, anything is possible,” he said. Daniel Caluag added further that “Because when they told me I was too short, being one of the shortest in BMX, I’ve had some good success ad that hasn’t stopped me to do it,” he added.
According to the 28-year-old Asian Games gold medalist, he cited one of his idols, Manny Pacquiao, as one fitting example of someone who started with nothing and has made it to the top.
Aside from Daniel Caluag’s sports idol, what drives him most to chase his dreams is his wife Stephanie and daughter Sydney Isabella, who was born just several days before he won the gold medal in the 2014 Incheon Asian Games.