DAVAO CITY — The Davao Region swimming community mourns the passing of one of its brightest stars as swimming coach Gerry Kasim died while doing the 1.9 kilometers swim course of Alveo Ironman 70.3 Davao on March 26..
A resident of the Island Garden City of Samal, Kasim succumbed to a heart attack and was taken to the Southern Philippines Medical Center where attending physicians tried to resuscitate him but failed revive him.
Kasim was a swimming coach in Davao City and a non-teaching personnel of the Department of Education. He was a veteran swimmer representing the region in Palarong Pampook, Palarong Pambansa, the country’s grassroots sports program, and in the Private School Athletic Association (PRISAA) games in his younger years.
As news of his passing brooke off, the social media threads are filled with sadness as one of the pillars was gone.
In a statement released on Sunday night over Facebook, Alveo Ironman 70.3 Davao said “We are deeply saddened to confirm the death of a race participant at IRONMAN 70.3 Davao. The athlete required medical attention during the swim portion of the race and was transported to a nearby hospital where they were treated.”
Davao city-based swimmer Andi Espiritu posted on Facebook, “Ever since I was a kid, alongside Coach Ali, you were the person who coached me. I will surely miss the chats we had during swimming, the times when you challenged me in swimming, and mostly the way you coached me,” Espiritu said.
Jozef James Elises, a member of the De La Salle University-Dasmariñas swimming team also posted on Facebook, “Coach Jerry was my first ever coach in any sport and we wouldn’t be where we are now without him. Swimming with Jerry Aquatic Swimming Team (JAST) was one of the highlights of my life and hearing what happened, I can’t help but look back at all the memories we had as a team. Coach Jerry literally crossed an ocean with us around 10 years ago when we crossed Davao to Samal. We miss you already Coach,” Elises said.
The City Government of Davao also extended its condolences to Kasim’s bereaved family. “The city government of Davao extend our deepest condolences to the bereaved family of the Ironman 70.3 athlete who passed away while participating in the swim portion of the race in March 26, Sunday,” the City government said.
An Ironman 70.3, also known as a Half Ironman, is one of a series of long-distance triathlon races. The “70.3” refers to the total distance in miles (113.0 km) covered in the race, consisting of a 1.2-mile (1.9 km) swim, a 56-mile (90 km) bike ride, and a 13.1-mile (21.1 km) run. Each distance of the swim, bike, and run segments is half the distance of that segment in an Ironman Triathlon.
