The road to victory—whether it includes medals or otherwise—is long and treacherous, and these Filipino Olympic athletes know it.
Related: 5 Life Lessons We Can Learn From Carlos Yulo’s Two Olympic Gold Medal Wins
The Paris 2024 Olympics are not just a place where the best of the best show off how skilled they are. It’s also a space for these athletes to prove (not necessarily to others, but even just to themselves) their strength in overcoming all the hurdles that have come their way.
From injuries to financial disputes, physical to mental challenges, these Olympians have struggled through not just the training, but other things thrown their way, as well. In arising from these challenges, they’ve shown remarkable will as they compete in the biggest sports event in the world. These are just a few athletes we’ve covered here, but trust, Team Philippines and all these athletes have climbed mountains and broken barriers to get to where they are. Medal or no medal, they made the nation proud.
CARLOS YULO
Carlos Yulo’s Olympic journey and comeback at Paris 2024 was simply majestic to witness. He’s had to power through not just, for instance, his pommel horse fall, but other struggles as well. From only placing tenth at Tokyo 2020 to the controversial issues with his family, to having no coach leading up to the Olympics, from nearly quitting to moving on his own to a new country to train, Carlos has had to juggle a lot, personally and professionally.
Despite it all, the athlete persisted, earning two gymnastic gold medals at the Paris 2024 Olympic Games, making history by becoming the first Filipino gymnast to win not one, but two gold medals and the most decorated Filipino Olympian (if not athlete) ever.
EJ OBIENA
EJ Obiena has made headlines before for the issue between him and the Philippine Athletics Track and Field Association (PATAFA), in which they were embroiled in a legal dispute when PATAFA accused EJ of estafa. EJ has since been cleared of any wrongdoing, but it’s yet another glaring reminder of the myriad of issues within the system and governance of sports and athletics in the Philippines.
For this Olympic run, EJ revealed that he was suffering from a recurring issue in his lumbar spine. The pain got so bad that EJ had to undergo a procedure that would let him compete in the Olympics—just days before the Games. The recovery and lack of full, committed training due to the injury affected his performance.
EJ made it to fourth place in the pole vault competition, which is a big leap from his 11th-place finish in Tokyo 2020. Regardless of a medal, people made sure to assure EJ that he made the country proud with his drive, commitment, and achievement. The athlete is currently reflecting on his Olympic future, but he assured he will recalibrate and recuperate, and still participate and compete in athletic events.
HERGIE BACYADAN
With the recent discourse surrounding female boxer Imane Khelif, Paris 2024 has brought to light a lot of issues involving discrimination. Imane has been the target of plenty of hateful comments, and has been called a man despite being and identifying as a woman. Transgender boxer Hergie Bacyadan is no stranger to the comments and discrimination thrown his way, having to defend his standing in his sports multiple times. But the boxer never let perception of him drag him down, even when competitors at the World Vovinam Championship in 2023 protested his eligibility. He eventually broke barriers all the way to Paris 2024, and even though he wasn’t able to make it to the quarterfinals, he still achieved so much.
Hergie’s participation in the Games, representing a country that can’t even pass an anti-discrimination bill, sparks important conversation regarding gendered athletics, transphobia, and our understanding of fairness, gender and sexuality, to name a few.
LEVI JUNG-RUIVIVAR
Imagine being in peak physical condition, ready to compete in the biggest event of not just your life, but sports in general. Then, the moment you step foot in Paris, you had to be rushed to the hospital. Gymnast Levi Jung-Ruivivar unfortunately doesn’t have to imagine. The first-time Olympian and youngest member of Team Philippines at Paris 2024 this year experienced a severe allergic reaction to tree nuts at the Olympic Village. Thankfully, she had an EpiPen with her, and was rushed to the hospital quickly. Recovery was tough the days after, but she made it her mission to compete well.
Levi, as well as her fellow female gymnasts Emma Malabuyo and Aleah Finnegan, were unable to make it through the qualifying round to the final. However, their performance as the first Filipino female gymnasts to make it to the Olympics in 60 years, and Levi’s will to push through after a sudden medical emergency, makes us proud.
SAMANTHA CATANTAN
Samantha Catantan earned her ticket to Paris 2024 not without injury, as the Filipina fencer (the first to compete for the Philippines) tore her left anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) at the Southeast Asian Games in 2023, an injury that would cause her trouble for the next year or so.
During a match that would determine if she would make it to the Olympics, her injury made itself known again as she hurt her knee during a lunge. Regardless, she powered through and made her way to Paris. Though she did not advance to the Round of 16, Samantha stood her ground. She reveals that she re-tore her ACL at the Games, but her journey is a long way from being over. Samantha is planning to continue pursuing her dreams and make it back to the Olympic strip soon.
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