Newlywed triathletes Andrew and Steffi Romualdez both understand that putting in the work—in sport and outside of it—is key to strengthening their relationship
There’s an African proverb that says, “You can go fast alone. If you want to go far, go together.” Multisport may be a solo sport but it’s also a great way to meet friends, training buddies, or, in some cases, lifelong partners. For newlyweds Andrew and Steffi Romualdez, they might not have met through the sport but staying active and engaging in it helped strengthen their bond and mold their relationship.
How did you guys meet?
Andrew Romualdez (AR): We were teammates at work. This was back in 2019. We started out as teammates and then became friends then it grew from there.
Steff Romualdez (SR)i: We met six years ago as we were officemates at that time. It started out as a friendship then it developed into a deeper relationship. Now we get to call each other as husband and wife.
Who made the first move and how?
AR: I made the first move. I asked her out for dinner. It was a spontaneous fun night. I noticed that she was athletic so I’d also invite her to run with me after work several times.
SR: It was Drew who made the first move. I remember we both had separate workouts at that time. I was boxing in a gym in Manila and he was doing strength training in another gym in Pasig and he just messaged if I was free for dinner, and we met up and the rest was history.
Since you guys got married, what are the biggest changes?
AR: There’s no challenge actually. Everything just fell into place naturally. It’s more of an adjustment since we started living together. I started to consider her plans more and work around them, especially during the weekends. I guess it’s also balancing time with her family or my family.
SR: Probably it’s more on being understanding, having patience, and compromising with each other as we’re getting to know one another more on a deeper level.
How do you guys manage to train together? What adjustments, if any, do you make?
AR: It’s manageable because the training program [you give us] is in sync; meaning we bike, run, and swim and even go to the gym on the same days. Logistically it makes it a lot easier and fun to train together. But aside from that, there are days when we can’t train at the same time and respect each other’s time for training.
SR: At first, we were both training for different sports, like Andrew was biking and I was into running then swimming, then when we got together, we both got involved in each other’s sports, then it was triathlon training from there. Now, since we both follow [the same] training program, we do our training together and we just align our schedules to make it work.
What are the pros and cons of being an active couple?
AR: Pros—we get to join races together. When we train together, we motivate one another. It’s another way we bond and spend quality time together. When we go to a different country, it’s fun exploring by taking a quick run around the city. You get to appreciate the city more. Cons—Since we train and we have upcoming races, it gets challenging having a social life, especially when it’s for dinner and drinks. Pero game kami if it’s a social ride in the morning tapos coffee after.
“Find a sport you both enjoy. Be committed to it and at the same time make it fun. Get a coach especially if you’re planning on doing triathlons (or any sport),” says Andrew Romualdez
SR: Pros would be that we get to bond with our training and in races. Since we’re both active, it’s just a different kind of bonding where there’s support and encouragement. We’re able to feel each other’s struggle after a hard training load, and there’s this adrenaline when you’re in a race that we bounce off each other. Cons would probably be that we’d have to work around schedules if there’s a social gathering or event.
What advice can you give couples out there who want to start their fitness journey together?
AR: Find a sport you both enjoy. Be committed to it and at the same time make it fun. Get a coach especially if you’re planning on doing triathlons (or any sport). Having a structured workout will help you plan your week together. Join the same races so you have the same mindset when you train. Enjoy the journey together. The more you train (consistently), you’ll see each other’s improvements, which is always fun to see.
“As long as you are both having fun then it will just keep progressing from there. Any active sport is already one step closer to living a healthier life,” says Steffi Romualdez
SR: I suggest starting with a fun sport that both of you would want to do again and see it from there. If it’s running then run together during Ayala car-free Sundays. If it’s biking, then do a coffee ride first. If it’s a racket sport, pickleball is really picking up in Manila and there are groups/clubs you can join to play. As long as you are both having fun then it will just keep progressing from there. Any active sport is already one step closer to living a healthier life.
They say that a couple that shares a certain passion or hobby develops a stronger relationship, as they spend more time together and consider each other’s feelings and interests more. It doesn’t have to be running, triathlon, or multisport; however, it’s definitely something worthwhile to consider. Imagine, not only are you getting stronger as a couple, you’re also getting stronger individually.
Keep the love, everyone!