Southeast Asian Games’ long jump queen Marestella Torres may be competing in her last biennial meet set this August.
In an interview with the Bulletin/Tempo, the 36-year-old Torres admits age is already catching up on her nearly a decade after starting her illustrious career.
“Siyempre unang una nagkaka-edad na din ako, and also may family na din ako gusto na din naman namin sundan yung baby namin kaya nag-iisip ako na baka last na ‘to,” said Torres who is married to shotput bet Eliazar Sunang.
Torres won her first SEA Games gold during the 2005 Manila meet and has since won all but two SEAG longjump title after giving birth to her now three-year-old daughter Elimar in 2013 and settling for the bronze in the 2015 Singapore event.
A three-time Olympian and a gold medalist in the 2009 Asian Championships in Guangdong, China, Torres-Sunang is preparing for the Kuala Lumpur meet set Aug. 19 to 31.
“Ako kasi, dito ko din malalaman sa performance ko this year kung masasabi ko pwede pa. Kung wala na talaga, exit na ako. Marami din naman tayong batang atlete na pwede pumalit sa akin,” said Torres. “Pero kung kaya pa, lalo kung free of injury naman ako, baka kaya pa na after this SEA Games.”