Jacegrey Oliveros (left) and Gabriel Guillermo are best friends in Dubai. SUPPLIED

If you think superheroes only live in comic books, think again! In Dubai, two real-life heroes—8-year-old Gabriel Guillermo and 7-year-old Jacegrey Oliveros—are making waves in and out of the pool. Not only are they best friends for life, but they’re also on a mission: to inspire other kids to put down their tablets and dive into sports, studies, and real-life adventures. “Kids should experience life beyond screens,” Gabriel tells Expat Media. “It’s not healthy to be stuck on a screen all the time.” Jacegrey agrees, adding, “Life is more exciting when you explore, play, and learn new things.” Together, they even started a Facebook page called Gab Grey Bro (Dxb Diaries) where they share their sports journey and motivational messages for kids across the UAE. Their friendship began the old-fashioned way—through their dads! “Our dads worked in the same company and introduced us,” Gabriel says. They hit it off instantly and have been inseparable since they were four years old. Jacegrey laughs as he explains, “Our fathers became friends, then we became friends, and now we’re like a tandem. We enjoy the same things and we’re BFFs!”

School, sports, and swimming medals

So, how do these two balance everything? Gabriel shares, “On school days, I do my homework first. On weekends, it’s swimming training early in the morning and playtime in the afternoon.” For Jacegrey, weekends are fully dedicated to sports. “I do my homework after school, then Saturdays and Sundays are for swimming,” he says. The boys are competitive swimmers who’ve won gold medals and cheered each other through every race. “We always tell each other, ‘We can do it, bro! Let’s go for the gold!’” Gabriel says. But win or lose, they always remember what their parents taught them: show sportsmanship and keep learning from every competition. When asked about their future, the boys already have big plans. “We want to open our own swimming academy called Swimming Dragons Academy,” Gabriel shares proudly. Jacegrey adds with a grin, “And I also want to be an engineer one day.” PIA/Expat Media

Jacegrey Oliveros (left) and Gabriel Guillermo. ARCHIVE

In their words

We are Gabriel and Jacegrey, best friends who grew up in Dubai. Gabriel is 8 years old and the only child in his family, while I, Jace, am 7 (turning 8 soon!) and have a sweet little sister named Luna. Even though we come from the Philippines, the UAE is our second home. We love how safe and exciting Dubai is, with beaches, parks, and of course, the Burj Khalifa! But what makes it most special is that our families are here with us. We met when our dads—who worked in the same company—introduced us, and since then, we’ve been like brothers. We do everything together: school, sports, and most of all, swimming. We’re both competitive swimmers and have won medals in different competitions. Gabriel’s favorite moment is winning gold, while mine was when I won in a big competition—but win or lose, we always cheer each other on. Outside the pool, Gabriel loves English, while I get excited about Science and Math. We also started a Facebook page called Gab Grey Bro (Dxb Diaries) to inspire kids to spend less time on screens and more time on real adventures. Our dream? To build our own Swimming Dragons Academy—and keep chasing our goals, side by side.

Quick-fire fun with Gab and Grey

Pizza or burgers? Gabriel: Pizza Jacegrey: Burgers Superpower for a day? Gabriel: Invisibility Jacegrey: The Flash Sports hero? Gabriel: Michael Phelps Jacegrey: Cobra Kai Funniest school moment? Jacegrey: “When I accidentally peed my pants because I couldn’t open them!” Friendship movie title? Both: Hey, Bro! Favorite TV show. Both: Squid Game Dogs or cats? Gabriel: both. I have cat and dog in the house Jacegrey: I like dogs Favorite subject in school. Both: English If you could travel anywhere in the world right now, where would you go? Jacegrey: Japan! Me and my sister want to see Disneyland The first thing you’d buy if you both won a big prize. Gabriel: Mansion and Lamborghini for my parents Jacegrey: Lamborghini and travel
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