CAGAYAN de Oro City — At just six years old, Solana Aislah “Daday” Ayco of Valencia City, Bukidnon, is already making waves beyond the Philippines.

Solana brought home four gold medals and two silver medals from the 3rd Asian Open Schools Invitational Short Course Swimming Championships in Bangkok, Thailand, while setting a new tournament record in the 25-meter butterfly.

The young swimmer from EduCare School House competed in the girls’ 6-year-old division during the Aug. 29–30 meet at Assumption University.

She won gold in the 50-meter freestyle, 25-meter freestyle, 50-meter butterfly and 25-meter butterfly, where she also established the new tournament mark of 21.07 seconds. 

She added silver medals in the 25-meter and 50-meter breaststroke.

For coach Jeffrey Morgia of Lemmoda Aqua Gliders Swimming Classes, however, Solana' success is about more than medals.

“At six years old, we do not focus only on winning—we focus on building proper fundamentals and helping her develop a love for swimming,” Morgia said.

He said Solana's willingness to listen and learn stood out when she began training.

That discipline has also been reinforced at home.

Solana's mother, Joiane Grace Ayco, initially enrolled her daughter in swimming mainly for basic water safety. 

But after seeing her daughter’s composure during a 2025 competition, she realized Solana had the potential to compete.

One moment particularly stayed with her.

“Ma, mag-training na jud kog tarung,” Solana told her.

From then on, training became a regular part of the young swimmer’s routine.

Her mother said the family saw firsthand how much work went into the Bangkok competition, including training through extreme heat and heavy rain.

“Proud kaayo! Knowing nga gihagoan jud na niya,” Joiane said.

For Solana, the trip to Thailand was not all about competition.

She enjoyed riding an elephant, visiting new places and buying toys—experiences that made her international debut memorable beyond the medals.

“Swimming alone is fun pero happy kaayo ko kay naka sakay ko ug elephant ug naka visit ug new places para maglaag, dayun naka-buy kog toys,” she said.

Still, the six-year-old knew exactly what she wanted to celebrate.

“Happy kaayo kay naka-kuha kog gold.”

Asked who inspires her in swimming, Solana gave an answer that was as confident as it was charming:

“My favorite swimmer is myself.”

Outside the pool, she looks up to football stars Cristiano Ronaldo, Lamine Yamal and Neymar.

For now, Solana's story is only beginning.

Her four gold medals and record-setting performance in Bangkok offer a glimpse of what a young athlete can achieve when talent, proper training, family support and a love for the sport come together.

And at six years old, there is still plenty of water ahead for this young Bukidnon swimmer to conquer.