Iya Villania, Champ Lui Pio, Bogart the Explorer, Joyce Pring, and Jude Bacalso are Cebu Pacific's Juan for Fun Backpacker Challenge 2015 Adventure Coaches!

I love traveling and discovering new places. If I have the time and the budget, I'd do it as often as I could, while I can! I believe this is also how Cebu Pacific's Juan for Fun Backpacker Challenge 2015 Adventure Coaches feel, too, as they are all enthusiastic travelers who enjoy having adventures anywhere they go.

Champ, Jude, Joyce, Iya, and Bogart

These certified adventure seekers signed up for JFF 2015 to serve as mentors to five student teams who will be going on an all-expenses-paid trip across Cebu Pacific's extensive network of destinations. The coaches will be staying in touch and cheering for their respective teams through social media throughout the whole duration of the eight-day backpacker challenge happening from June 23 to July 1.

All five Adventure Coaches expressed excitement at being part of Juan for Fun and are looking forward to meeting their teams soon. Here, they share some tips and pointers to aspiring participants so they could make their experiences even more memorable. 

The very entertaining Bogart the Explorer, whose online videos never fail to make people laugh, returns as an adventure coach for the second year. He affirmed that the competition is a great way for students to excel and find out what they are capable of. "They also get the opportunity to learn something about the places they visit, enabling them to view that destination from a unique perspective," he pointed out.

A second returning adventure coach is educator, writer, and photographer Jude Bacalso, who admitted to being initially intimidated as a mentor. "You are never too sure that you are able to guide the teams to the best of your ability," she disclosed, adding that by the end of the competition, however, it became clear that learning is a two way street. "I was reminded that letting loose and enjoying the moment is just as important as winning. It really is the journey, not the destination."

For singer, TV host, and radio DJ Joyce Pring, being an Adventure Coach is a great way to spread positivity and the joys of adventure. "I always aim to be an ambassador of good vibes and creative growth, and being a part of the Juan for Fun challenge will allow me to do just that," she said. "I feel like I will be a very competitive coach but, at the end of the day, I just want everyone to have fun and experience what it's like to travel to someplace new." 

I have to say that Joyce is certainly a trooper because she was one of my teammates during the media and celebrities mini JFF challenge in Siquijor this past weekend. I admired her energy and determination as she joined us in conquering challenge after challenge despite feeling under the weather that day. More about that adventure in another blog post.

Another self-confessed competitive coach is music artist, producer, and restaurant owner Champ Lui Pio, who believes that winning is all about learning how to work as a team while having a great time. "I really like how the Cebu Pacific Juan for Fun challenge mixes fun with adventure," he described. "I look forward to meeting and bonding with the challenge participants, and I really want them to enjoy this experience because traveling, in my opinion, is food for the soul."

Rounding off this year's roster of Adventure Coaches is TV personality and avid traveler Iya Villania-Arellano. "I joined Juan for Fun as a mentor because I think it would be great to be a part of other people's adventures, share my personal experiences, and help them make the most of their journey," she enumerated. "I want my team to challenge themselves by preparing to make some sacrifices and conquering a few fears, all while having fun, of course!"

Learn more about how you can meet and be mentored by these awesome coaches! Read my other blog post, which has more details about the Juan for Fun Backpacker Challenge. Please also log on to www.juanforfun.com and like facebook.com/CebuPacificJFF for more details and to follow the escapades of these adventure coaches and their teams.