Tasty Crushie Tuesday: Atom Araullo

Name:

Atom Araullo

Profession:

   TV Host,

   Sportsman,

   Activist

Country:

   Philippines

Birthday:

   19 October 1982

Height:

   5′8″

Weight:

   128 pounds

* More info and photos after break...

Atom Araullo (born October 19, 1982) is a television personality, sportsman, and activist in the Philippines.

He is the second and youngest child of Carol Pagaduan Araullo, a medical doctor and an activist, and Miguel Araullo, an engineer. Both of his parents were both activists during the Marcos regime. His elder sister, Sandra, is an Applied Physics professor in the University of the Philippines and is also a member of the Philippines triathlon team.

Araullo spent most of his early childhood days with his parents battling it out during the Marcos regime and dictatorship. This has exposed him to the political struggle in the country. During his early elementary school days, his parents exposed him to sports and the theater. He also joined various competitions as a triathlete. He also became part of several plays.

He also is a well-known television show host. As a child, he has been one of the anchors for the children's show 5 and Up. At present, he is a regular host for the youth-oriented show Kabataan News Network (KNN), as well as Studio 23 morning show, Breakfast. Atom is musically inclined and he knows how play the flute. He also is a talented writer. In fact, one of his essays won him a trip to Africa. Atom also loves photography and is often seen during rallies and mobilizations with his camera in handy.

Atom graduated from the University of the Philippines in Diliman, Quezon City in 2005 with a Bachelor of Science in Applied Physics. During his stay in the university, he has been active in political alliances and has served as a councilor in the university student council. He also was an editor for his college's publication for a year.

Triathlete, mountaineer, soccer player, editor and student Atom Araullo proves that grabbing every opportunity that comes your way can take you far (as Africa!)

Serious couch potatoes would have him locked in memory from when he was still one of the reporters in the children’s show 5 & Up more than 5 years ago. Last year, we saw him again (all grown up!) in a Milo commercial training, running, finishing a race and grinning at the camera in the end. The entire ad could very well have been a real slice out of Atom P. Araullo’s life. But it’s just a slice.

When we met the nineteen-year old triathlete, classes had just started and he had just come back from the Annual Subic International Triathlon. Although he didn’t bag the top prize for the juniors level this time (he had done so before), it wasn’t something this Applied Physics major from UP Diliman would probably dwell on. There were classes to attend, their college paper, Sciencia, to edit, soccer practice and climbs with the UP Mountaineers. Whew, you’d think he’d get a wee bit tired with everything he’s doing.

“I realized I easily get bored if I’m just doing one particular activity,” says Atom. “So in a typical day, I may bike in the morning, study in the afternoon, maybe play soccer or something else. This time management thing is not really a special skill, I just do one thing after the other while keeping my mind what I have to do for school.”

Sports Action

As a shy kid back in Ateneo grade school, Atom was encouraged by his parents to join the school’s children’s theater to give him confidence. “It was a good way to get used to other people,” he says.

His folks also made sure to expose him to different sports early on. “My sister and I seriously got into swimming. Eventually, my Dad thought it would be good if we got into triathlon since swimming is one of the three events, aside from running and cycling. I started training for all three when I was in first year high school. Like any sport, it takes a lot of discipline. But with triathlon, you have to balance the three events.”

At 15, he joined his first triathlon, the Philippine Half Iron Man, and won the junior category. “Finishing the race was in itself memorable. I was thinking of giving up in several parts of the race. But then, you’ll think, sayang yung six months of training just because you got tired. Parang you have to expect na pagod ka kasi if not, you’re not really giving your best. You just have to push on.”

If he’s not rigorously training for a competition on weekends, he joins his football club for some soccer - his leisure sport. “I got into soccer back in grade school. I think it’s the first sport I truly enjoyed.” And of course there’s still mountaineering. “I’ve been planning to join a mountaineering org for so long.” And so he signed up in one as soon as he entered UP.

Out in Africa

Being a fan of the outdoors and having been bombarded with Discovery Channel images, Atom had always wanted to see Africa. Last year, he did, through the annual Cathay Pacific International Wilderness Experience. To join, participants had to write a 100-word essay about the environment. Atom didn’t have to think twice and e-mailed his entry. Two weeks and two screening interviews later, he become one of the four delegates from the Philippines to join other teens from Asia, New Zealand and South Africa in an 11-day camp in a South African reserve. “There were different activities, a lot of hiking around the reserve. It was thrilling to see the animals, especially the zebras. Cute nila tingnan with their stripes,” he recalls laughing.

“Aside from environmental awareness, the goal of the camp was to get the participating teens to start [environmental] projects in their own countries,” explains Atom. He and his fellow Filipino delegates are now thinking of recreating the African camp here in Manila, though on a smaller scale.

Keep on Going.

When you tell Atom how much of an achiever he is, this self-effacing guy is quick to put everything in perspective. “It’s not really because I’m such an achiever, it was because I was fortunate enough to experience a lot of things as a kid and I was exposed to a lot of different opportunities. A big part of it is really luck and another part of it is my attitude. I actually look for those different opportunities. I don’t back away from them because I really want to keep exploring my surroundings and discover new things.”

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Article Courtesy of Meg Magazine

Photo courtesy: STYLERPA