Team MMS
The competitive side of MMS
Team MMS traces back its history during the first ever MMS Olympics on the summer of 1998 held at Puerto Galera in the Island of Mindoro. Though it was a fun activity, the competition showed the members how competitive MMS can be and since then there was a yearning for some of its members to look for outlets to profess this passion. Though most people go into outdoor sports such as mountaineering purely as a stress reliever, away from the traditional stressful competitive sports, it’s still healthy for once in a while to engage oneself to competition, which is basically the very essence of nature’s evolution. Thus we can say that the MMS Olympics is the grassroots program that opens up members to see if the world of competitive sport is for them.
Formally, the very first Team MMS was organized in 2000 to join the Mt. Pinatubo Pro Am Challenge, during the time Adventure Racing was becoming popular. The first Team MMS was composed of Mark Santos, Long Henson, Yoko Ito and a non-MMS, Joey Perez (Long’s officemate in eTelecare). The group finished 10th place over a field of 44 competitors, a great start for the team and since then, MMS was hit by the adventure racing bug. From then on, MMS joined several adventure races such as:
Pinatubo PRO-AM Challenge (2000) – Mark Santos, Long Henson, Yoko Ito, Joey Perez (10 of 44)
Guimaras Survival Challenge (2001) – Mark Santos, Nolan Debuque, Yoko Ito, Edwin Serapio (DNF)
San Miguel UJAR1 - Manila (2001) – Mark Santos, Edwin Serapio, Nolan Debuque, Yoko Ito (Team 1), Long Henson, Josel Joaquin, Peter Barrios, EJ Jose (Team 2)
San Miguel UJAR 2 – Baguio (2002) – Mark Santos, Edwin Serapio, Robert Arevalo and Yoko Ito
San Miguel IJAR 3 - Manila (2002) – Retzel Orquiza (Team 1) Long Henson, Vince Rodriguez, Robert Arevalo (Team 2)
Makiling Mountain Quest (2002)
AXN Challenge (2002)
Team Montalban Orienteering Cup (2002)
Carrera Habagat (2002)
Standard Charter Marathon (2002) – Retzel Orquiza (1st place) and Naida Fontelera (1st place)
Puerto Carrera (2003) – Jerome Licup, Retzel Orquiza, Yoko Ito (4th place)
AXN Challenge (2003) – Team MMS-Masculados (6th place) MMS-Amazonas (4th place) MMS (16th place)
San Miguel Enduro (2003) – Jun Medrano, Long Henson, Rodel Palisoc (6th place)
Montalban Orienteering (2003) – (4th place)
Makiling Mountain Quest (2003) – (8th place)
Carrera Habagat (2003) – (12th palce)
Protek Challenge (2003) – (4th place)
Calamba-Makiling Adventure Challenge (2003)
Sandugo Adventure Race (2004) – Retzel Orquiza, Robert Arevalo, Deo Cas (1st place), Jerome Licup, Jay, Lea Latayan (2nd place)
Carrera Habagat- Battle of Biliran (2004)
AXN Challenge(2004) – Lea Latayan, Wiwit Acuna
Makiling Mud Spring Rush (2004) – Juboy Willkomm, Mark Santos
WRT (2004) – Wiwit Acuna, Retzel Orquiza
San Miguel Enduro (2004)
NOMADS Batangas Challenge (2005) – Robert Arevalo, Heidi Sarno (4th place)
San Miguel Enduro (2006) – Juboy Willkomm, Jojo Romero, Heidi Sarno, Lea Latayan, Robert Arevalo
Rudy Girl Adventure (2006) – Nina Singcol, Heidi Sarno (3rd place), Lea Latayan, Deo Cas (4th place)
TNF 100 (2008) – Roy Lopez, Lea Latayan, Deo Cas, Heidi Sarno, Long Henson, Retzel Orquiza, Jojo Romero
MITMC Orienteering Cup (2009) – Robert Arevalo, Lea Latayan (1st place)
Makiling Mountain Quest (2009) – Long Henson, Jerome Licup
LLDA 200KM Ultra-marathon (2010) – Edwin Serapio, Long Henson, Heidi Sarno, Lea Latayan, Deo Cas
Highland Twilight Duathlon (2010) – Long Henson, Heidi Sarno
NOMADs Bike Challenge (2011) – Mark Santos, Long Henson, Deo Cas, Lea Latayan
Team MMS was pivotal to promote other sports within the organization. These sports either gave members new hobbies or sports as well as an outlet for a healthy lifestyle outside of mountaineering specially for those who are already too busy to afford a weekend getaway in the mountains. Most of its members are also in the forefront of cycling through MMS Bikers and other sports such a marathon and multi sports.
Since currently, Adventure Racing is in the decline, some members are into other sports such as Executive Cycling and Multi-Sports where they have carved a name unto themselves. Here are some of the members who are in the fore front of these other sports and even adventure racing:
Cycling (Road/ Mountain Bike)
Juboy Willkomm
Wiwit Acuna
Lea Latayan
Multi-Sports
Retzel Orquiza
Adventure Racing
Retzel Orquiza
Robert Arevalo
Deo Cas
Lea Latayan
Heidi Sarno
Those who have been a member of Team MMS past and present:
Long Henson, Edwin Serapio, Rodel Palisoc, Jun Medrano, Robert Arevalo, Rommel Jotic, Yoko Ito, Beth Policarpio, Mark Santos, EJ Jose, Jocel Joaquin, Jodel Coates, Naidz Fontelera, Peter Barrios, Gregg Rodil, Nolan Debuque, Retzel Orquiza, Heidi Sarno, Deo Cas, Vince Rodriguez, Jerome Licup, Lea Latayan, Juboy Willkomm, Wiwit Acuna