Rain had been falling on Manila since early Tuesday morning. Typhoon Kammuri, locally known as Tisoy, was leaving a trail of fear and destruction across the gloomy city, which is currently hosting the 30th Southeast Asian (SEA) Games.

It was as if the storm clouds had also settled over the Indonesian wushu team, which was preparing for its last day of competition. Top wushu athlete Edgar Xavier Marvelo had received the news of his father’s passing early on Tuesday, the same day he was supposed to compete in two finals.

His father’s death was a shock for the 20-year-old. Lo Thiang Meng was known as a loyal supporter of his son's career. He had been hospitalized for heart disease since Friday when Edgar arrived in Manila.

Edgar’s mother and siblings initially asked his coaches not to share the devastating news with Edgar so he could focus on competing in the SEA Games, his second time participating in the biennial sporting event.

National wushu head coach Novita and coach Susyana Tjhan received the call from Edgar’s family at 1 a.m. on Tuesday.

Later, Novita met her protégé during practice and tried to console him with a hug.

“I told him, just let it out. And he cried. We hugged for quite a while. After that, he was ready to warm-up at eight,” she told journalists, adding that she put her trust in her protégé as Edgar said he was ready to compete even after hearing the news.

A silver-medal winner at the 2018 Asian Games in Jakarta, Edgar pushed passed his grief to compete in the men’s Taolu Daoshu/Gunshu combined category and the men’s team event for Taolu Duilian alongside Harris Horatius and Naro Seraf Siregar. He awed SEA Games judges to finish with the most points in both categories, earning him two gold medals.

Strength and elegance: Indonesian wushu athlete Edgar Xavier Marvelo performs during the male gunshu wushu finals in the 30th Southeast Asian (SEA) Games at the World Trade Center building in Manila on Tuesday. Edgar won a gold medal after securing the highest score of 9.68.(Antara/Nyoman Budhiana)

Battling back tears, Edgar said he dedicated the golds to his late father.

 “I promised that I would do [this] for him,” he said.

Edgar’s story immediately attracted the attention of top Indonesian officials. Youth and Sports Minister Zainudin Amali praised Edgar’s bravery.

“I am proud and greatly respect him for what he did; being so brave during today’s competition even though he was in mourning,” Zainudin said.

Indonesian National Olympic Committee (NOC) chief Raja Sapta Oktohari said Edgar’s strong will enabled him to keep fighting the fight.

“Edgar was like a soldier who never abandoned his orders and kept fighting the fight, and then he won that fight. Edgar gave his best to those he loves the most, his country and his late father,” he said.

It was not the first time Edgar competed under somber circumstances. During the World Championship in Shanghai in October, his father was hospitalized for the same illness.

“When competing in Shanghai, my father told me that whatever happened to him must not stop me from [competing]. He said I needed to continue competing at other tournaments and today, I am just doing what he told me to do,” Edgar said.

Edgar’s love for wushu began in his childhood, when he found joy in watching Chinese action stars like Bruce Lee, Jackie Chan and Jet Li in kung fu movies.

He was later delighted to find out that his elementary school offered wushu as an extracurricular activity. Fortunately, his fondness of the sport was supported by his family, including his parents.

Edgar will return to Indonesia on Wednesday morning because Ninoy Aquino International Airport was closed on Tuesday due to bad weather. His father is scheduled to be cremated on Saturday.