Lys Jane Timbal waited nearly the entire day for the race that would change her life.
After leaving the Davao Region athletes’ quarters in Bunawan before dawn Tuesday, May 26, the 16-year-old race walker endured hours of heat, pressure, and anticipation before finally stepping onto the track at 6 p.m. for the secondary girls’ 2,000-meter walkathon at the 2026 Palarong Pambansa 2026 in Prosperidad, Agusan del Sur.
Hours later, Timbal shattered the Palaro record and delivered Davao Region’s first athletics gold medal at the Datu Lipus Makapandong Gov. D.O. Plaza Sports Complex.
She clocked 10 minutes and 7.69 seconds, erasing the previous Palaro record of 10:15.15 set by National Capital Region bet Sep Blessee Placido in 2025.
Northern Mindanao’s Jujen Leigh Gabrinez also went under the old mark with 10:08.81 but settled for silver after Timbal surged ahead in the closing laps. Calabarzon’s Danica Mae Secundo took bronze in 10:15.77.
From finishing only inside the Top 13 in last year’s Palaro in Ilocos Norte to rewriting the national meet record books, Timbal completed one of Davao Region’s biggest breakthrough stories of the competition.
From finishing only inside the Top 13 in last year’s Palaro in Ilocos Norte to rewriting the national meet record books, Timbal completed one of Davao Region’s biggest breakthrough stories of the competition.
“So happy kay nakuha na nako akong gusto (I’m so happy because I finally achieved what I wanted),” Timbal said in a phone interview with SunStar Davao Wednesday morning, May 27. “Most athletes gusto gyud kaayo makakuha og medal (One of my biggest dreams was to win a medal in the Palarong Pambansa because every athlete hopes to earn one). I feel so lucky and blessed that I was able to win the gold medal.”
She admitted the victory came as a surprise.
“Wala po, unexpected po, unexpected gani kaayo kay abi nako’g di nako makaya so (I didn’t expect this at all because I honestly thought I couldn’t do it),” Timbal said in a phone interview with SunStar Davao Wednesday morning, May 27. “Ang ako lang, ano, kay mugukod lang ko kay para pud sa akong future , para pang-college na ko nga scholarship (I just kept chasing because I know this can help my future, especially for college scholarships).”
Timbal admitted she struggled early after getting trapped behind the pack at the start.
“Naipit na gyud ko. So nigukod lang ko (I got boxed in, so I just kept chasing),” she said.
She gradually worked her way back by staying patient and conserving energy before attacking late.
“Giisa isa nako sila’g kuha then wala ko nawad- an og confidence sa akong self kay para ma kuanan ko sa akoang energy (I started picking them off one by one. I stayed confident and didn’t allow myself to lose energy),” she added. “And then, gisabayan nako sila three lapses and then last then two laps, didto nako ni burak then technique kung unsaon pa human, unsaon pag break, ug unsaon pag manage sa time (And then I stayed with the pack for three laps. In the final two laps, that’s when I made my move and increased my pace. I focused on my technique, how to finish strong, how to break away, and how to manage my time).”
The incoming Grade 12 student of Ulip National High School said mental discipline carried her through the pressure-filled buildup to the event.
“Pressure gyud kaayo (The pressure was really intense),” Timbal said. “Even when I tried to sleep, all I could think about was the race and how I could bring home a medal.”
Instead of giving in to nerves, she leaned on confidence and motivation drawn from her family.
“I kept thinking that I could help my family and that all my training would not go to waste,” she said in the vernacular. “I avoided negative thoughts during the race.”
Timbal trains two to three hours daily and follows strict discipline under her coaches, including maintaining race-walking form to avoid fouls that could lead to disqualification.
“Discipline and attitude,” she said when asked about the key to becoming a Palaro champion. “You really have to listen to your coach and discipline yourself during training.”
The eldest among four siblings, Timbal said she hopes to use her cash incentives for school expenses and supplies for herself and her younger siblings. She said the Province of Davao de Oro is giving a P30,000 cash bonus for an individual gold medal won in the Palarong Pambansa 2026.
“My plan is not to waste the money,” she said. “I’ll use it for the incoming school year and for my siblings’ needs.”
Timbal also thanked her trainer for standing by her throughout the journey.
“Even when I got tired, my trainer was always there to guide and understand me,” she said.
Her record-breaking victory added another golden chapter to Davao Region’s campaign as the Davao Eagles continued to battle among the country’s top-performing delegations in the weeklong national games. MLSA
