Learn a little more about Fino Herrera, a young model, actor, and athlete who’s making waves in the obstacle course race scene and entertainment industry
For years now, Fino Herrera has been on the rise as a model, actor, and athlete. Notably, for his breakthrough role in the TV show Mga Batang Poz, he was recognized as one of the Best New Performers at the 7th Urduja Heritage Films Awards in 2020. And in the midst of booking roles for more TV shows, Fino attained a gold medal in the first-ever Spartan Race Stadion held in the Philippines last June 2022.
He shares that being exposed to the Spartan Race community and other obstacle course race athletes played a big role in motivating him to add being an athlete to his impressive background. “Just seeing their training and work ethic [made] me want to be one,” he says.
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Fino began his journey as a Spartan Race Pro in January 2019. “It was exhausting, but I felt ecstatic. I remembered I did a Sprint (5km Open Category) and I was running and lifting heavy stuff for about an hour and a half in the muddy trails of Vermosa and under the scorching sun,” Fino shares.
And despite any challenge he faces, he says that seeing himself becoming a better athlete everyday inspires him to continue on this fitness journey. This is partly due to the guidance of his coach, Spartan Pro Gabb Rosario.
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In addition to obstacle course races, he also participates in other sporting events like marathons. “I’m actually eyeing to join a duathlon, a full marathon, and a triathlon next year, [and] with proper training, nutrition, and guidance, I hope I could finish all three,” he adds.
In preparation for these races and competitions, Fino says he first informs Gabb of what he wants to join so they could discuss if it’s possible or not. Following that, he follows the periodized program Gabb designed specifically for him and for that race or competition.
That being said, even he’s not exempt from experiencing not-so-good days that target his personal concerns like body dysmorphia. Fino says that aside from that, he also experiences the consequences from lack of sleep, as well as injuries since he’s juggling being a model, actor, and athlete all at once. However, he makes sure to find ways to overcome these by giving his mind and body time to rest and recover. “Whenever I have time to take a rest, I take it and make the most of it. Do some positive self-talk. And lastly, taking my time to fully recover from injuries before training again.”
Finally, as advice to aspiring athletes, he emphasizes the need to show grit. “Show up! You might be feeling tired [or] exhausted, or you don’t feel like doing it, but show up.”
