THE COMPETITION WAS close. It was the Manila Spirits game of Ultimate, commonly known as Frisbee. The Philippine and US teams tied at 14. As the US team threw the disk, the 6?5? opponent guarded actor and RP team captain Derek Ramsay Jr. They both hurdled for the flying disk.
At the end zone where the score is made, the 5?11 Ramsay jumped over the opponent who was blocking him. Ramsay caught the disk, and landed on the ground on his shoulder. The crowd screamed and chanted his name as the Philippine team carried their captain who sealed their victory.
That was Ramsay?s most unforgettable game and he hopes his team can top the forthcoming Manila Spirits on Nov. 6-8 at Ayala Alabang Country Club.
To many, Ramsay, going 33 years old, shot to fame as model for Oxygen and magazines until he got into soap opera.
?I?m proud because ever since, I was given the honor of being team captain, from being a joke, we?ve moved up,? says Ramsay.
Ultimate is the name of a team sport whose objective is to get points by passing a flying disc to a player in the opposite end zone. Frisbee is actually a brand of flying disks.
Ramsay says that Ultimate is gaining popularity in the Philippines and Filipinos could be among the world?s best players.
?We took advantage of the experience the foreigner gave us. We adapted it to our kind of sport. We can?t play like them because their build is different. Our advantage is our quickness and throwing the disk accurately into space. If the disk is flying, between a guy who?s 6?1 and a guy who?s 5?6, I?d put my money on the 5?6. Filipinos are quick. We don?t hold the disk long. It?s just pass, pass, pass, pass,? explains Ramsay.
The actor-athlete is humble about being Most Valuable Player in the Asian championships the past two years.
?I didn?t work for that. I just played my game, took my role and it just so happened that I got the MVP. Ultimate is a team sport,? says Ramsay.
He got into the sport in 2005 when he led the double life of a player for Toyota in the Philippine Basketball League and an ABS-CBN talent. His teammates introduced him to Ultimate which appealed to him because it reminded him of rugby, one of his favorite sports in school. He also enjoyed the constant running and throwing in a big field which gave him a total body workout.
But the PBL did not allow players to engage in another sport. It was also tough to balance grueling team practices with his taping schedules.
?I decided to play this. I was having more fun even if I wasn?t being paid,? he says.
Ultimate gave him more flexibility in schedule. He also loved the outdoors and the unbounded freedom of space.
Born in England to an English father and Filipino mother, Ramsay was kicking the ball from the time he could walk. He was also such a looker that even as a toddler he was already modeling diapers. He had his high school at International School of Manila and British School where he became a commercial model, starting with Close-up in 1999.
When he was 18, his father sent him to Cheltenham, one of the most prestigious schools in the UK where he was made to major in math, chemistry and physics.
He took up the English sports?water polo, cricket and tennis. He spent more time in rugby, a rougher sport than football but more gentlemanly.
That same spirit of integrity, esprit de corps and sportsmanship inherent in Ultimate attracted Ramsay to the sport.
His sports have left him with many injuries which Ramsay wears like a medal? ACL (anterior cruciate ligament tear or knee injury), broken ankle, broken nose, broken ribs, an eyelid busted from being hit by spiked shoes, stitches and scars on elbows.
His manager Joji Dingcong tried to dissuade him from sports, but Ramsay was adamant.
?If I give it up, I won?t be able to work. It releases my stress. I?m in love with sports. I have to keep my life balanced. My family, time for myself. Most of these guys are my close friends,? says Ramsay.
He recalls getting depressed when he did four shows simultaneously in a season and could not play any sport.
Asked how sports helps him as an actor, he replies. ?In acting there?s pressure. This is my way to vent all the stress in my body. At the same time, I get endorsements because I?m fit and lead an active life. This is what keeps me in shape. I?m not a gym guy. You get a good cardio workout. One game is like running 10 km.?
Instead of pumping iron, Ramsay does 100 push-ups a day even after a long day of shooting. As a result, he?s in campaigns touting Century Corned Tuna (Leo Po, his classmate at Boston University, got him hooked with the product in the dorm); Lucky Me Noodles (another staple food in college); Nesvita Cereal and Milk; and being English, he drinks beer, San Miguel, naturally. Gift Gate?s Swatch has been supporting his team, with Smart and Belo.
His girlfriend Angelica Panganiban also got involved with Ultimate.
?It?s nice to do something else aside from the usual dates like watching movies. We also play golf,? says Ramsay whose handicap is 9.
Don?t the accumulated injuries affect his image in front of the camera?
?That is who I am. Accept me for that,? he declares.
