His home city is helping him.
“On Monday, Feb 24, Muntinlupa Mayor Jaime Fresnedi presented to Michael Christian Martinez and to his mother, Ma. Theresa, the check of PHP100,000 as incentive for the skater’s feat during the flag-raising ceremony at the Muntinlupa City Hall,” reports Jonathan M. Hicap in the Manila Bulletin.
Martinez said thanked the Muntinlupa City Council for the support, saying the money will be used for his training abroad. He revealed that his figure skating coach charges about US$100 to US$130 per hour.
The 17-year-old Martinez made history as the first Filipino and Southeast Asian to compete in figure skating at the 2014 Winter Olympics.
Students of the Muntinlupa School for Child Development, Martinez’s alma mater, also gave him a hero’s welcome.
Screengrab from Michael Martinez’s Facebook page
