Pasig City—January 14, 2019—At the age of 51, nothing seems to stop Kim Atienza, better known as “Kuya Kim,” from achieving anything he sets his mind to. From doing one activity to another, it’s hard to imagine how he goes above and beyond when it comes to family, career, and even sports.
Developing a healthy routine
Kuya Kim shares that he likes developing routines. He does it to ensure that he gets to spend quality times with his family, despite his busy schedule.
“My schedule is planned. Everything I do, I’m used to it,” he said.
On weekends, the TV personality does long bikes and runs in the morning as part of his training, while afternoons are dedicated to his family, kids, and church. After suffering from a stroke in 2010, Atienza realized that exercise is crucial in avoiding another health emergency.
“After I got sick, I decided to exercise. My program started with a walking routine and then became a running routine. Eventually, I tried swimming, biking, and running, which led me to become a marathoner. Lastly, I became a triathlete all because of my stroke in 2010. I’ve lived a very healthy life since then,” he said.
Even though Kuya Kim is not a picky eater, he makes sure that he goes by the glycemic index. “I don’t totally stay away from sugar. I like sweets, but I eat minimally. Even with rice, I go with black rice. Same goes with fruits and vegetables,” said Atienza.
Aside from eating right, Atienza also takes Santé Barley, which helps with the immune system.
“I’m very immunocompromised. I was sick a couple of times and, that’s because of my immune system,” he said.
With all these in mind, Kuya Kim believes that a balanced lifestyle is about knowing your purpose and, when you figure it out, put the priorities in order. “Our purpose is to glorify God. I’m a born-again Christian. So, number one in my list is God, number two is family, number three is work, and number four is triathlon.”
Triathlon journey
Before triathlon, Atienza joined marathons. “My first race, I remember, was in 2011. I did the Bordeaux marathon. Since it was my first time, I didn’t know how to do it properly. I finished it with a decent time, and I definitely enjoyed it. It was a beautiful race,” he said.
Since then, Atienza ventured into the challenging world of triathlon by joining the Ironman in Taiwan. “It was very difficult. The temperature was around 40C0. It was a tough swim, bike, and run uphill. But it was my first [triathlon]. The first is always the best, so I’ll never forget that,” he recalled.
Out of the three discipline, he enjoys running the most. But, aside from the sport, he also likes the company. “It’s a good community to get involved with. Very nice people, supportive, and driven, and it’s good to support each other through your own pain. I know that training can be painful, and I know what they go through, and they are the same with me.”
For first-timers, Atienza said that consistency beats talent in endurance sports. He added that, “if you’re consistent, you will reach your goals. Also, respect the distance. This type [of sport,] you cannot be good at right away. If you’re to be good in one year, you will get injured, and you’ll end up burned up. Respect the distance, go through the miles, go through the training, and at a certain point, after many years of doing it, then you will become good and strong.”
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