RHEA BULLOS: THE GIRL WHO “INVENTED” HER OWN SHOES TO WIN 3 GOLD MEDALS
In December 2019, an image from Iloilo, in the Philippines, broke the internet. It showed a young girl’s feet covered with adhesive bandages and an unmistakable “Swoosh” (the Nike logo) crudely drawn with a marker. Those feet belonged to 11-year-old Rhea Bullos.
Running with heart, not with money
Rhea was competing in the Iloilo Schools Sports Council. Unlike her rivals, her family did not have the means to buy her track spikes. Because the rubber track gets far too hot under the Philippine sun, her coach, Predirick Valenzuela, and Rhea came up with the idea of using medical bandages to protect the soles of her feet. The final touch of the logo was an innocent reflection of her dreams.
Despite the tremendous physical disadvantage, Rhea flew down the track. She won the 400, 800, and 1,500 meter races, taking home three gold medals and making it clear that the speed was in her legs, not in her footwear.
Where is Rhea today?
The photos uploaded by her coach went so viral that millions of people tagged Nike and other brands demanding that they sponsor her. The response was immediate. A local shopping mall (SM City Iloilo) invited her and her family, giving her backpacks, socks, and new shoes.
In addition, Jeff Cariaso, professional basketball coach and CEO of Titan22, moved heaven and earth to contact her, and Nike in the Philippines sent her and her teammates dozens of pairs of professional running shoes. Since that moment, Rhea and her team no longer have to run barefoot.
Today, she remains a symbol of athletic resilience and reminds us of a harsh reality: talent is everywhere, but opportunities are not.