Born with nothing: Filipino orphan becomes Aussie hero at Commonwealth Games
<p>A 147cm-tall “pocket rocket” who started life in a Filipino orphanage has become Australia’s latest Commonwealth Games hero, breaking a 24-year drought by winning gold on the vault.</p>
<p>Christopher Remkes grabbed gold on the vault last night with a winning score of 14.766, including an impressive opening vault of 14.866.</p>
<p>The 21-year-old says his small stature is his secret weapon, noting: “My height is almost like a super power, I’m lucky to have the build I have, it means I can go fast in the air.”</p>
<p>Chris, who was adopted by South Australian couple Mike and Dora Remkes when he was two, paid an emotional tribute to his parents after his incredible win.</p>
<p>“Without my parents I wouldn’t be here today, I would probably still be in the orphanage,” he said.</p>
<p>“I owe everything to my parents, they gave me so much love and support and drove me around to all the competitions.”</p>
<p><img width="402" height="403" src="https://oversixtydev.blob.core.windows.net/media/7817292/capture_402x403.jpg" alt="Capture (9)" style="display: block; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"/></p>
<p>Mark Remkes, who was in the audience to watch his son claim victory, told of how Chris had been dumped at a hospital at just two days old before being handed to an orphanage.</p>
<p>“We had been childless for seven or eight years,” he told <strong><a href="https://www.theaustralian.com.au/sport/2018-commonwealth-games/chris-remkes-from-a-box-in-an-orphanage-to-commonwealth-gold/news-story/27f23e85dd2b5d0b5c7f58e55121e063">The Australian</a></strong><span style="text-decoration: underline;">.</span> “Adoption was our last option. It was so important for us to start a family. Then all of a sudden a child came up for adoption. We were given a file we could read which was supposed to have no photo. The CEO of the agency accidentally left the photo as the last page.</p>
<p>“He forgot to remove it. When we opened the folder we opened it from the back instead of the front. We saw the photo first and before we read (anything else) we said we will take him, we’re going to get him.</p>
<p>“We couldn’t leave someone like that in the conditions he was in. We were in The Philippines for two weeks. We spent the first week in Manila, the second week at the orphanage where he was from.</p>
<p>“All he knew for the first nearly two years of his life was nothing bigger than a cot. When we went back to the orphanage, we saw where he survived so to speak for the first two years of his life.</p>
<p>“It was a normal cot with no legs, on the ground. There were teeth marks in it. Kids were climbing out. To feed them all, they cooked up a bulk meal, put out so many dishes and fed three or four kids. It was just like a ration line.”</p>
<p><img width="399" height="224" src="http://cdn.newsapi.com.au/image/v1/78e6a8e6045761e398d3faff05de28e7?width=650" alt="Chris Remkes says he owes everything to his parents. Chris with his dad Mike as a youngster: Photo: (@chrisremkes1) Instagram" style="display: block; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"/></p>
<p>The Remkes arrived in The Philippines with gifts for the orphanage.</p>
<p>“When we went back there the head nun that was running the place was in tears because she had never heard him laugh before,” Mark said.</p>
<p>“He was laughing and running and smiling. She had never seen that from him in the two years he was in the orphanage — he was given up at one and half days old.</p>
<p>“It was really, really sad to see. We took a full suitcase with insect repellent, moisturiser and that sort of thing. They were overwhelmed with gratitude.</p>
<p>“It was a heartwarming introduction to being a parent for us.”</p>
<p>Mark, who is a men’s gymnastics coach, said his son has loved gymnastics since starting out as a five year old.</p>
<p>“His passion his so strong and his journey is still continuing,” the proud dad said.</p>
<p>“We are proud of everything, he was given nothing in life and he has taken every opportunity and run with it.”</p>
<p>Chris broke a 24-year Commonwealth Games vault drought for his nation, which was last won by an Australian in 1994.</p>
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