"I am very competitive," says Richie Santos, "I always want to be number one."

A young man, Richie does not strike one as being timid or idle for very long. Meeting him gives you the impression that he is a person who's impassionate about setting goals and making damn sure that he meets them. What makes it so inspiring though is that his relentless drive to be the best seems to go hand-in-hand with having a whole lot of fun as well. And this is what makes him a D2N lifestyle icon. He became Merchandising VP for Cinderella, one of the top clothing retailers in the Philippines. Richie is an accomplished sportsman, competing in international competitions and making the Filipinos proud. He started early by being part of the Philippine soccer team that placed third at the prestigious Gothia Cup in Sweden - the youth equivalent of World Cup. But being anything less than "number one" was never an option for Richie. Discovering and nurturing his skill as Jet Ski racer, he immediately made a name for himself by being the first Philippine Jet Ski champion in 1989 before eventually being named "Jet Ski Rider of the Year" for a grand total of 5 years. He also holds the distinction of being the first Filipino to race in the World Jet Ski finals in Arizona and the first to win in international events in Guam and the USA. He retired after 9 years with an undefeated record.

Has he slowed down?

Not at all! Richie is now a golfer and just beat 700 other players in the over-all championship of The Chairman's Cup at Southwoods. The biggest challenge these days though is his day job.

As Marketing VP of Cinderella, he is in-charge of the imported brands they sell in their chain like Esprit, U2, Rampage, British India, Pierre Cardin and Playboy - just to name a few. "I try to be a good leader," he says, "That's why I try to make all my brands to be the best. I am really passionate about retailing and everything I do."

However, Richie's life is not only defined by his work. As a true believer in the D2N lifestyle, Richie loves to maximize his day. Like any guy his age, he also enjoys going out and hanging out in bars like NUVO. It's at places like these where he gets to unwind to his music of choice. Surprisingly, Richie isn't into intense and hard dance music. His musical tastes are more sedate preferring to focus on chill-out sounds. He's also up for planning and going out on romantic dates with his girlfriend. "Preferably the beach," he says.

Richie does wish that there were times that he wasn't so busy. Why?

"So I can play more golf!" Staying in bed all day, eating chips and watching reality TV shows hold little appeal for the ever-active Richie.

Ever the competitor, he's not one to sit still. After all, for Richie, living the D2N lifestyle is a constant competition in itself!"