CEBU CITY, Philippines — Some athletes spend their careers mastering one discipline. Ernest Ybañez Jr. has built his reputation by refusing to stay inside just one lane.
From track and field to endurance competitions, fitness coaching and now flag football, Ybañez has developed into one of Cebu’s more versatile sports personalities—combining athletic competition with a growing role as a trainer and mentor.
His story is not simply about medals. It is about adapting to new challenges, building physical strength and endurance, and helping other athletes develop their own potential.
From track and field to new challenges
Ybañez’s athletic credentials were already established before he ventured into other sports.
A former University of Cebu standout, he won gold in the decathlon at the Philippine National Games, a demanding competition involving 10 track-and-field events: the 100-meter dash, long jump, shot put, high jump, 110-meter hurdles, discus, 400-meter run, javelin, pole vault and 1,500-meter run.
That background gave him a foundation in speed, strength, endurance and versatility—qualities that would later prove valuable as he explored other disciplines.
Ybañez eventually took on the Spartan Race, an obstacle-course endurance competition requiring considerably different physical demands from traditional track and field.
In 2019, SunStar reported that he was preparing to compete in the elite division after previously placing second in the open division of a Spartan race in Balamban, Cebu.
The transition was far from automatic.
While decathlon allowed athletes to recover between events, Spartan racing required sustained running, upper-body strength and the ability to overcome obstacles without the same recovery periods. Ybañez acknowledged that he needed to adjust his training accordingly.
More than an athlete: Ybañez as a trainer
Ybañez’s experience as a competitor also became an important part of his work as a coach and fitness trainer.
SunStar previously identified him as a track and field coach and later featured him as an Epic Performance coach preparing for the Spartan Race. His training included exercises designed to improve muscular endurance, including crawling and obstacle-specific conditioning.
He has also been identified as a strength and conditioning trainer at Omega Boxing Gym, demonstrating how his athletic background has expanded into helping other competitors improve their physical preparation.
That combination—athlete and trainer—has become central to his identity in Cebu’s sports community.
Now, flag football enters the picture
Ybañez’s latest sporting chapter has taken him into flag football, a non-contact version of American football that has been gaining momentum in Cebu.
Cebu Daily News reported that Ybañez sees the sport’s accessibility as one of its biggest strengths. Because flag football is non-contact, it can attract athletes from different backgrounds and age groups while reducing some of the injury risks associated with tackle football.
But there is another reason the sport has captured his attention: the Olympics.
Flag football is set to make its Olympic debut at the Los Angeles 2028 Olympic Games, a development that has generated considerable excitement among players and organizers in Cebu.
For Ybañez, that possibility represents more than simply another sporting opportunity.
It is a chance for Cebuano athletes to dream bigger.
Cebu’s flag football community is growing
The growth of flag football in Cebu has been substantial.
According to Cebu Daily News, the province hosts roughly 10 flag football tournaments annually, with organizations such as the Ultimate Blitz League (UBL), Cebu Flag Football League (CFFL) and Cebu International Flag Football Association (CIFFA) helping sustain the sport through competitions, training camps and rookie programs.
The sport has also attracted athletes from other disciplines, including collegiate competitors.
Ybañez has advocated for greater recognition of flag football in school competitions and collegiate sports, including possible inclusion in events such as CESAFI.
His argument reflects the wider development of the sport: Cebu already has an athlete base capable of making the transition, but stronger institutional support could help the community grow even further.
From local fields to international dreams
The momentum around Cebu flag football has also been fueled by visits from NFL players.
Cebu Daily News reported that NFL players including Cam Bynum, Jaylinn Hawkins and Elijah Hicks have visited Cebu and participated in programs that inspired local players. Bynum, in particular, was involved in a football training camp through the Bynum Faith Foundation.
For athletes such as Ybañez, those encounters demonstrate that the Cebuano sports community can connect with opportunities far beyond the local scene.
And that matters at a time when flag football is moving toward one of the world’s biggest sporting stages.
Recognition among Cebu’s sports elite
Ybañez’s contributions have also received recognition from Cebu’s sports community.
He was named among the Special Citation recipients of the 39th Sportswriters Association of Cebu-San Miguel Beer Cebu Sports Awards, with flag football listed as his sport.
The recognition placed him alongside athletes and teams from basketball, boxing, football, athletics, volleyball, triathlon, karate, tennis, golf and other sports.
SunStar’s 2025 coverage likewise listed Ernest Ybañez among the flag football honorees at the Cebu Sports Awards.
A career built around versatility
What makes Ybañez’s story particularly compelling is the consistency of one theme: adaptation.
He has moved from the highly technical world of decathlon to obstacle racing, from competing to coaching, and from individual athletic disciplines to a rapidly expanding team sport.
Each transition has demanded something different.
Track and field required technical precision and all-around athletic ability. Spartan racing tested endurance and obstacle strength. Strength and conditioning demanded an understanding of how to prepare other athletes. Flag football introduced speed, strategy and teamwork in a new competitive environment.
Yet the foundation remains the same: discipline, conditioning and the willingness to embrace another challenge.
And perhaps that is the bigger lesson behind Ybañez’s journey.
The next chapter does not necessarily have to look like the last one.
For Cebu’s emerging generation of athletes, his career offers a powerful example of how athletic experience can evolve—from competitor, to coach, to mentor, and potentially into a new generation of sports leadership.
With flag football moving toward its Olympic debut in 2028 and Cebu’s community continuing to expand, Ybañez may have found another field on which to leave his mark.
And if his career so far is any indication, this may not be his final sporting challenge.
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