A Champion at 40: Age Is Just a Number

Despite being barely half the height of her vaulting pole, Sea Woman First Class Riezel Buenaventura of the Coast Guard Special Service Center stands confident and mighty among taller colleagues.

With her strong, youthful presence, few would guess that she has spent almost three decades in pole vaulting, competing in numerous prestigious local and international events, most notably her international breakthrough at the 2011 Southeast Asian Championships, where she cleared a lifetime personal best of 3.90 meters.

Just recently, on September 1, Riezel made waves at the 2026 World Masters Athletics Championships in Daegu, South Korea, clinching bronze in the W40 pole vault category after clearing 3.20 meters.

She was the only Asian on the podium, alongside athletes from Great Britain and Australia who won gold and silver, respectively.

Now competing in the masters category, Riezel makes sure to meet her dietary needs by eating fruits and vegetables and maximizing her hours of sleep.

“So, bilang isang nagkakaedad na, napakalaki ng adjustment ko doon, lalong-lalo na sa proper training at sa pagtulog. Kailangan ko ng matagal na recovery kasi, siyempre, at the age of 40, dito na lumalabas iyong iba’t ibang sakit sa edad na ito,” Riezel explained.

Yet, as a member of the Coast Guard, she cannot shy away from the duties that come with her position. Riezel admits that she has had to balance her training with her responsibilities as Coast Guard personnel.

Leap of faith

But even before becoming a Coast Guard athlete and competing in prestigious events, Riezel once tried to walk away from the sport.

The world-class pole vaulter shared that after graduating college from the Far Eastern University, she worked as a secretary at a private firm to help support her family. Despite this, the years of hard work she had devoted to the sport continued to haunt her at work.

“Talagang nagkakaroon ako ng parang daydreaming lagi na parang gusto ko pa, parang may gusto pa akong patunayan,” Riezel stated, her eyes brimming with excitement. 

“Kating-kati iyong katawan ko na mag-training pa, magpapawis. Tapos kapag nakakatulog ako sa office, bigla kong maririnig iyong putok ng baril. Iyong setup sa track and field, iyon pa rin iyong napapanaginipan ko, kaya parang hindi yata ako matatahimik.”

She then took a leap of faith and returned to pole vaulting. The rest of her journey has been marked by shining medals as a National Athlete, obtaining two bronze medals in the Southeast Asian Games.

Strength with age

Now 40 years old, almost two decades after her first international stint, Riezel is more conscious of her diet and complements it with nutritional supplements such as EnPlus Gold.

“Ang EnPlus Gold kasi, isang magandang produkto iyan, lalo na sa mga aging na katulad ko. More on makakatulong siya sa recovery kasi marami siyang protein na kailangang-kailangan ng isang atleta,” Riezel said.

“‘Yung sa muscle health mo tsaka 'yung whole body joints mo, magandang tulong si Enplus Gold,” she added.

EnPlus Gold is a lactose-free, gluten-free, and low-cholesterol nutritional drink. It is a rich source of calcium, phosphorus, zinc, and vitamins A, C, D3, E, B2, and B12, specially formulated for the dietary management of malnutrition among adults and older people.

With the range of nutrients found in EnPlus Gold, Riezel is confident and determined to face her next competitions with a stronger body.