Lance promotes safety workout after gym accident
An 80-pound barbell landed on his face while he was lying down on the bench press
Lance Raymundo will be out of the limelight for at least three months while recovering from a gym accident that crushed his nose after an 80-pound barbell landed on his face while he was lying down on the bench press last Wednesday, March 19.
“There was an 80-lb. barbell on top of me because the workout was a ‘superset’, meaning, right after I do 10 reps with the barbell with the help of my trainer, I rest it back in place and proceed to do the dumbbell fly workout,” he related to Chuvaness.com. Blogger Cecile Van Straten is Lance’s aunt.
Lance continued, “After completing 10 reps of the dumbbell flies, the trainer leaned forward to assist me in lowering the dumbbells, but his body weight accidentally dislodged the barbell, which fell on my face and smashed it.”
Second life
Speaking to Yahoo Philippines Celebrity, Lance’s mom, Nina Zaldua-Raymundo confirmed that the singer-actor wants to turn his condition around by promoting safety workout, an advocacy which the family thinks is the reason why he got a second chance at life .
“When he’s back, ‘yan ang kanyang advocacy. He’ll be going around to warn people because this thing can happen. Maaaring maulit ito sa kapabayaan ng marami,” she said, relating that “an inch up or down (the point of impact) could be fatal.”
“In the many years I have been working out, I have witnessed so many close calls due to horsing around, not paying attention, neglect, or even listening to an iPod while working out,” Lance told Cecile. “I hope this serves as a warning for everyone’s safety. I survived a near-death experience so I can be an advocate of this safety reminder.”
Lance opted to withhold the name of the gym because “as no one wanted this accident to happen.”
‘Like a house that crushed’
The Raymundo matriarch compared the magnitude of her son’s condition to a house that lost its foundation.
“Just imagine hawakan mo 'yung bridge ng ilong mo, imagine like anything that crushed on it, parang bahay na binagsakan mo nawala ang pundasyon. That is what they will repair. But aside from that, the swelling and everything is going very smoothly.”
Thanks to well-wishers and prayer brigades from Lance’s alma mater La Salle Greenhills, as well as the Religious of Virgin Mary and other congregations, Nina said her son is “spiritually, physically and emotionally-ready” for his operation on Tuesday, March 25.
Lance’s mother related that his first major surgery will last for five hours. A team of neurosurgeons, eye specialists and EENT doctors are all-hands and assures Lance of full restoration once the surgeries are done.
Nina also said he’s being physically-conscious pays off this time as his naturally-athletic body withstands the pain from the freak accident.
Lance is supposed to play Jesus Christ in the 25th staging of “Martir sa Golgotha” directed annually by theater actor-politician Lou Veloso.
“Nung una nanghihinayang siya, pero ngayon sabi niya because of his experience he can and would portray Jesus more powerful and meaningful next Holy Week.”
