Meet 18-year-old Anton Ignacio, the Philippines’ jet ski world champion
MANILA, Philippines – While most people see jet skiing as a recreational activity, a Filipino teen has already made the most of what is typically considered an expensive hobby.
Anton Ignacio, 18, has been making waves in the international scene, winning the Pro-Am Runabout 1100 Stock title, one of the premier divisions of the 2024 SBT-IJSBA World Jet Ski Finals held in Arizona, USA, last October 10.
“The best feeling was when I crossed the finish line. It’s a feeling that will forever stick with me because, more than winning, I feel like I made a lot of people proud back home,” said Ignacio.
Ruling against one of the best jet ski racers in the world, Ignacio became the youngest world champion in the Pro-Am category.
It was also his second straight world title after topping the same category last year in the novice division.
“I’ve been working hard for it, and that was a really great moment for me,” Ignacio said.
According to his father Robert, who also competed in local jet ski events over 20 years ago, Anton first found his fondness for the sport when he was 11 years old as he navigated through the waters of Mindoro unsupervised.
“So he was just swimming, and I asked him ‘Anton, you want to ride a jet ski?’ He cried, he didn’t want to ride because I might speed up. So we went around. Then he asked if he could drive. I said okay, I’ll stay at the back,” recalled Robert, a national champion in his heyday.
“After that, he was amused. The following day, he was going out alone in front of the house. After one week, he was already going offshore on the next island.”
For Anton, it was a turning point in his life as he realized that he could follow in the footsteps of his father.
“Riding it for the first time, I was super scared because I just wanted to swim in the pool. That week, when I was able to go to the island by myself, that’s when I started to feel that maybe I could race,” Anton said.
In chasing this dream, Anton said he had to sacrifice time with his friends and the typical teenage adventures to ultimately reach the sport’s peak.
The teen racer now studies Bachelor of Media and Arts at the University of Asia and Pacific, where he juggles his academic and athletic ventures.
“I have to sacrifice my time with my family and friends, and also I had to miss some of my subjects, but for me, all of these are worth it, all the hard work and sacrifices,” he said.
Aside from his family, Anton was also mentored by Team Philippines head coach Paul del Rosario, a three-time world champion.
For now, the young Ignacio will return to fulfill his academic duties before jumping to training once more in Pattaya, Thailand in December.
Until then, Ignacio hopes his win, even at a young age, could inspire more youth to try out the sport.
“I want to spread the word and show people that this sport is worth trying because it’s really fun and I’ve seen the younger generation getting good at it, so I feel like there’s hope that the sport will get bigger,” he said. – Rappler.com