#PORTRAITS 2 | #MakeBigMoves with Chino Roque

Growing up, 28-year-old athlete and CrossFit coach Chino Roque have always dreamed of flying to space. A few years ago, that dream almost turned into a reality when he was chosen as the first-ever Pinoy astronaut in history after beating 28,000 applicants from different parts of the globe to become part of the international AXE Apollo Space Camp.

Wanting to be worthy of representing the country, Chino went through rigorous training at the Kennedy Space Center in Orlando, Florida that tested him mentally, physically, and emotionally. Unfortunately, his flight to space has been postponed until further notice. But he didn’t let that put his life on hold and took it as a push to go with plan B. “You can’t give up just because things didn’t go as planned,” he said.

Chino decided to train as a pilot instead, so he could still pursue his dream of soaring to the skies like he always wanted. “I still dream about flying to space, but while I can’t yet I found a different way to fly.” That, to him, is his big move. “You have to keep pushing through whatever obstacle life puts in front of you. Either go above, under, or break through it.”