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11yo girl wins gold medals in 'Nikes' made out of tape

An 11-year-old girl from the Philippines has become an internet sensation after her against-the-odds story went viral.

Rhea Bullos captured the world's attention after competing at a recent athletics meet with 'sneakers' made out of bandages.

The youngster raised eyebrows when she turned up at the Iloilo Schools Sports Council Meet with a home-made pair of 'Nike' runners.

Rhea Bullos made her own pair of Nike sneakers out of tape.
Rhea Bullos competed in the athletics meet with strapping tape for sneakers. Pic: Twitter

Essentially just strapping tape that covered her feet and toes, Bullos had the word 'Nike' scribbled on one side and the iconic ‘swoosh’ drawn on top.

Not only did she compete in the athletics event without regular footwear, Bullos dominated.

The school girl claimed gold in the 400m, 800m and 1,500m track races, with news of her incredible exploits quickly spreading.

Bullos' story became the talk of the Philippines, prompting a professional basketball coach in the country, Jeff Cariaso, to reach out to her on social media.

Cariaso is also the co-founder of Titan 22 - a leading sports retailer in the Philippines.

"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 said.

One can only hope that Bullos' achievements netted her a real pair of Nikes to go with her new-found fame.