Former gymnastics champ Mage Wagan back home to pass torch

San Jose de Buenavista, Antique – Mage Wagan ended her stint in the 2007 Palarong Pambansa with a bang.

Emerging as one of the bemedalled athletes that year in Koronadal, the then 15-year old Wagan felt that some day, she will be able to pass the torch to a younger generation of gymnasts.

Even as she began her college at the Pamantasan ng Lungsod ng Maynila, she refused to forget her passion and what gymnastics had brought to her life.

She began training students at her high school alma mater during her free time.

Her passion to help the younger generation in her former school did not escape her former coaches’ attention.

 “Pag wala akong pasok, punta lang akong Abad Santos (High School), tumutulong lang ako,” said Wagan.

The Palarong Pambansa stint netted her five gold medals and a silver in 2007. The year before, she was the most bemedalled athlete with six gold medal haul.

Her coaches in high school and elementary, Divine Beren and Elena Corpuz took note of her interest and passion for teaching.They eventually allowed her to join them in competitions.

And when she graduated in college in 2011, they allowed her to join them in the 2011 Palarong Pambansa.

That year, she took credit for having guided Arielle Nicole Orella to the individual all around honors in the elementary girls’ rhythmic gymnastics event. She’s been doing this for six years now.

This year, the 25-year old Wagan is getting closer to her dream job.

With her two former coaches retiring, she is helping out Divine Sembrano in her journey to greatness.

Sembrano,  drawing inspiration from Wagan’s patient instruction, first ruled the individual all-around event, and then anchored the NCR to the team gold of the secondary girls events of rhythmic gymnastics.

Then, the 13-year old Sembrano and Jhazelle Limenzon came up with a 1-2 finish to outscore Cebuana Daniella de la Pisa in the club competitions.

This year, NCR bested the field with team honors in the secondary and elementary. The Big City athletes finished with 107.5 points, while Negros Region settled for a close second with 102.08 points.

A board passer in education, Mage is now applying as coach at Jose Abad Santos High School.

She had the chance to be a gymnast coach in other schools. But after failing the board exam in 2011, she switched to folk dance, and joined the international road shows of the Philippine Barangay Dance Troupe while waiting for an opportunity to teach.

“Ngayon, heto na. Go na ako. Pumasa na ako,” said Wagan, probably destined to return to her home at Abad Santos High.