Having survived mum’s abortion attempt, Paralympic swimmer Ernie Gawilan embraces his disabilities

SINGAPORE – Despite being born without both feet and part of his left arm, Filipino para swimmer Ernie Gawilan still tries to live a fulfilling life.

The 33-year-old, who walks with slippers on his knees, has underdeveloped extremities following a botched abortion, after his father abandoned his mother in the middle of the pregnancy.

A tough childhood ensued as his mother died of cholera when he was just five months old, leaving him in his grandfather’s care.

Gawilan, who is in Singapore for the May 17-19 Citi Para Swimming World Series, said it was tough for him to accept the truth initially, but he has come to terms with his situation.

The four-gold Asian Para Games winner told The Straits Times via a translator: “At first it was very unacceptable for me, I honestly wished that it would have pushed through, so I was successfully aborted.

“And I hated it because I was born with disabilities. But, since then, I just chose to stay positive.

“I think without being in this condition, maybe I would’ve done something different. Maybe I wouldn’t excel in sport, maybe I would be doing something unproductive. So in a way, I’m thankful to be like this.”

Gawilan started swimming in 2004 after his grandfather sent him to a training centre for the handicapped. He would spend hours in the sea because, as he put it, his physical disability would not be visible in the water. A coach then taught him proper strokes.

Swimming changed his life, helping him rack up nine gold medals at the Asean Para Games from 2014 to 2022.

He also won three gold medals and two silvers at the 2018 Asian Para Games, before picking up his fourth title in 2023, adding to his four bronzes.

Looking back on his career, he said: “I learnt how to be more confident in myself despite being a para athlete. I feel included because I get to represent my country and get to inspire other people to do well in sport.

“What keeps me motivated is just my love for the sport. I love swimming very much and when it comes to training, it’s always been hard. It’s not easy, since it’s a very high level.”

He became the first Filipino to qualify for a Paralympic swimming final at Tokyo 2020 and will be seeking to improve on his sixth placing in the men’s 400m freestyle S7 as he heads to the Aug 28-Sept 8 Paris Games.

Noting that he is already at his “peak age”, Gawilan added: “I want this one to count, so I’m going to do my best.”

Joining him at the OCBC Aquatic Centre this weekend will be other Paris-bound swimmers, such as Japan’s two-time Paralympic champion Takayuki Suzuki and Vietnam’s Le Tien Dat, both 37.

Suzuki is looking forward to retaining the 100m freestyle S4 title he won in Tokyo, while Le is hoping to better his gold-winning 1min 34.04sec in the 100m breaststroke SB5 at the Asian Para Games in 2023. 

Singapore will be represented by 13 swimmers this weekend, including five-gold Paralympic champion Yip Pin Xiu, Toh Wei Soong and Sophie Soon.

Gawilan is looking forward to facing Toh, his rival in the S7 freestyle and butterfly events.

But he added: “Actually it’s not much of a rivalry, it’s just in the sport. Outside of the sport, we hang out, we eat, we have fun, just like normal people.”

He fondly remembers the 2015 Asean Para Games in Singapore, where Toh clocked 1min 5.46sec to pip him to the 100m freestyle S8 title by 0.31sec.

Gawilan said: “I was very happy for him because it had been a while since someone beat me in that event, so it was the most intense and it’s a fun memory for me. I’m happy that a competitor is also thriving.”

Tickets for the Citi Para Swimming World Series in Singapore, ranging from $5 to $13, are available on

www.sistic.com.sg

.