11-year-old athlete without shoes drew a Nike logo on her bandaged feet — then Nike called

In December 2019, a young runner from a small town in the Philippines stunned the world with nothing but medical tape, a marker, and incredible determination. Her name is Rhea Bullos. At 11 years old, she competed at the Iloilo Schools Sports Council meet without any shoes. She wrapped her feet in white adhesive bandages and drew Nike swooshes on the sides to look like sneakers. Her makeshift solution didn't slow her down. Bullos won gold in the 400-meter, 800-meter, and 1,500-meter races, beating competitors who wore real running shoes, as per Shape. Nike stepped in to ensure she wouldn't have to run barefoot. 

Photos of her feet, covered in layers of tape with the Nike logo sketched in black, went viral after her trainer, Predirick Valenzuela, posted them on Facebook. Bullos is from Balasan, a town in the province of Iloilo on Panay Island. In this region, it’s not unusual for children to train barefoot, but her creative approach and desire to run in proper gear struck a chord around the world. "I'm glad she won. She worked hard to train. They only get tired when training because they don't have shoes," Valenzuela said. 

Beyond the races, Bullos dreamed of representing the Philippines at the Southeast Asian Games. Her family supported her ambition, and her story quickly reached far beyond her community. As her popularity grew, the local mall SM City Iloilo invited her and her family to visit one of their stores. They gifted her a new pair of sneakers, socks and a sports bag. She was seen at a shoe store in a local mall trying on brand-new kicks, along with some socks and a sports bag, per Daily Guardian (@dailyguardianph).

Her story also caught the eye of Jeff Cariaso (@thejet_22), head coach of the Alaska Aces in the Philippine Basketball Association and CEO of Titan22. Cariaso took to X, asking for help contacting Bullos. Thanks to the online community, he was able to speak with her and her adviser directly. "Thanks for the post. I was able to speak to Rhea and her adviser this morning. Thanks to those who messaged me also with her contact number," he wrote in another post, as reported by CBS Sports. Nike was eventually made aware of her story through the outpouring of posts and petitions online.

Many called on the brand to provide her and her teammates with athletic gear. Nike responded by gifting her a proper pair of sneakers and athletic supplies. Her story recently resurfaced on Reddit after being posted by u/Vegetable-Mousse4405, where it gained praise all over again, especially from users who hadn't seen it before. u/_DivaCrystal wrote, "So much determination in this girl. She’ll never stop chasing her dreams. Good job." u/tuddrussell2 commented, "I can't walk over the dirt in my yard to the mailbox in socks without whining. Good on you, Rhea."

u/SummerTrips100 noted, "I have seen this over and over again. Children in poor countries are the most ingenious. If only most of them weren't in corrupt countries, I wonder what they could have achieved." u/Ray_22ff added, "She deserves all the support." u/ChicSkye wrote, "Her determination is incredible! She deserves real running shoes and all the support possible."