IRON WOMAN

Meet the Filipina triathlete who turned her rough days into a remarkable test of endurance, determination, and self-discovery

- LAURD SALEN

In a world that constantly demands more from us, there are few individuals who rise above the chaos and uncover a path to personal transformation. Ines Santiago is one of those few individuals.

It was a fateful day in 2013 when Santiago decided that enough was enough. Burdened by stress and grappling with a personal struggle, she made a life-altering choice. “I was a little bit stressed and was going through something, so I decided on that day that I needed to step out of the house,” Santiago recounts.

Santiago can’t exactly describe what happened, but after that day, something changed in her. “So at that time, I didn’t have any experience or anything,” she says. “I just had, like, your usual trainers and pambahay lang. I decided to try to just walk or jog. So I did that for like five to ten minutes outside, and then I felt really good about it. So I said, ‘Okay, I’ll do this again tomorrow.’”

Her short run-walks turned into long jogs, then eventually, she tried swimming and biking. By 2014, Santiago joined her first-ever triathlon, a standard distance race. In the same year, she also participated in three longer races.

Now, Santiago boasts an impressive collection of titles, including being crowned the Overall Women’s Champion at the 2023 IM (Iron Man) 70.3 Philippines in Subic Bay and the IM 70.3 Cebu in 2022.

Additionally, she holds the Reyna Bulakna Award for Fastest Filipina for three consecutive years at the IM 70.3 Cebu and the distinction of being the Fastest Filipina at the Ironman World Championships in Kona, Hawaii in 2022. As an Ironman All-World Athlete, she proudly holds the top spot in the country rankings and enjoys the coveted gold status.