It takes a village? These athletes open up about their most crucial pillars of support

Her first foray into Formula racing started in 2022 when she competed in a W Series test alongside 14 other drivers, later taking her to the W Series season where she finished 15th. Bustamante’s big break came the following year when she was announced to be the second driver to compete in the newly launched all-female F1 Academy series under Prema Racing, which unlocked her potential. “That was my first ever F1 Academy race in Austria. I managed to take P2 in my debut, so that was the moment when I realised that maybe I can make it. Maybe I do have a shot at this,” shares Bustamante.

Bustamante went on to sign with ART Grand Prix and was supported by a prestigious team, McLaren, as the first woman driver part of the McLaren Driver Development programme the following season. “It’s a huge honour that I’ll always carry proudly. Everything I know now came from McLaren, and I’ll always be thankful for that,” she says. After graduating from the programme, Bustamante recounts the strong bonds she has built over the year she spent with the team. She credits racers Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri for being great role models and mentors to her, as well as her reliable team of engineers and mechanics. 

Currently, Bustamante is competing at the GB3 Championship under Elite Motorsport. A surreal experience to even be on the track, she proudly raises the Philippine flag while racing in confidence. “It’s a dream and I’m grateful to represent my roots on an international level. I’m happy to be pursuing the love of my life and making it my career,” she shares. 

To prepare herself for the physical and mental strains of Formula One, Bustamante immerses herself in multiple practices, ranging from weightlifting and cycling to golf and squash. “As much as it is physical, it’s also a mental game. We compete in speeds of 260 kilometres per hour, where decisions are made in milliseconds. I always have to train my mental fortitude with real-life practice and training,” she says.

Looking ahead, Bustamante hopes to eventually make it to Formula One while inspiring Filipinos to follow in her footsteps. “Formula One is my Everest. That’s the climb that I’m continuously chasing… I want future Filipino racers to never be ridiculed for wanting to be a racing driver like I was when I was a kid. Racing is not a household sport commonly pursued by us. Hopefully, I get to change the norm,” she shares. Outside of racing, Bustamante shares that she wishes to develop her personal hobbies. “I’m trying to learn the piano,” she says with a laugh. “I indulge myself in multiple pursuits in life. I draw, I paint, I love architecture. I do photography, sketching and so much more… I’m a jack-of-all-trades, master of one. The only thing I never had was the singing gene,” she continues.

While Formula Racing isn’t exactly the cheapest sport to get into—requiring a substantial investment to test and drive cars—Bustamante banks on her influence as a social media personality and GoTyme Bank. “Financial difficulties are the biggest barrier to Formula racing. We need to book flights and hotels every time we go to a different track, and even training is an expense. You can only ever do that if you have a good marketing background and gather a lot of sponsorship money... GoTyme Bank is the first and only brand in the Philippines that we work with. They’re fuelling my dreams in the international scene of motorsport and having them support me is incredible,” she shares.

Related: The race to inspire women in motorsports—insights from Bianca Bustamante, Angie Mead King, Marlon Stöckinger, and more

Inspired by her older brother, Sara Eggesvik’s love for football was born from childhood games in Norway. “I’ve always wanted to be like him,” she recalls fondly. At 10 years old, she joined the local girls’ team, where she started her youth career. When she came of age, Eggesvik made her professional debut with Norwegian association football club Idrettsklubben Grand Bodø. Over the years, she would play for multiple football clubs such as Charlton Athletic in England and KIL/Hemne and Malvik in Norway before settling down with Australia’s Western United, where she currently plays in the country’s top division.

Given her Norwegian and Filipino heritage, Eggesvik represents both nations at the international level. In 2022, she made her debut for the Philippines during an international friendly against Bosnia and Herzegovina at the Terme Catez in Slovenia. A month later, she would score her first international goal under the Philippine flag at the ASEAN Football Federation (AFF) Women’s Championship vs Singapore. “That was an amazing feeling, especially having that tournament at home. Having the crowd support us is something that I will always remember,” reflects Eggesvik. The following year, she and her team qualified for the FIFA Women’s World Cup—an achievement that not many can say they have. “That was the first time a Filipino football team has ever qualified for the World Cup… We entered the tournament with little expectations, but we won a game against the host country, New Zealand, and it was amazing,” she recalls.

As a world-class athlete, Eggesvik recounts the times she was knocked down. Apart from injuries, she struggles to find her footing in the new environments she is flung to. Playing for the Philippines, Norway, and Australia, she contemplates hanging up her spikes to continue her studies in medical school. However, Eggesvik is brought right back every time she remembers why she plays. “I love my teammates. Even though we live on different sides of the world, I consider them good friends, and it's always so nice to see them again... I have the passion and drive to get better. I want little girls and boys from the Philippines to see that it is possible to live your dream as a footballer,” she shares.

Backed by GoTyme Bank, Eggesvik now fiercely stares at uncertainty head-on with a renewed vigour in her heart. While often apart from her roots for months at a time to train and compete, she rests easy knowing she has a piece of home with her everywhere she goes. “They sponsor both me and my team. They helped me pursue my dream of being a professional footballer and make my life easier so I can prioritise my sport,” shares Eggesvik.

After visiting the driving range at eight years old with his father, Ramos immediately fell in love with golf and participated in his first junior event the following year—a competition he admits to having played badly, but became his gateway towards greatness. “If anything, it made me want to play golf more. Even if I didn’t play well, I still enjoyed it and made a lot of friends,” recalls Ramos. 

Boldly choosing to forego his college education, the 21-year-old athlete is dead set on making a name for himself on the course without a moment of hesitation. “I was always very sure of what I wanted to do… I’ve never thought about quitting, and I plan to do this forever,” says Ramos confidently.

Finding strength from his partner and caddie, Laurea Duque, Ramos turns to her during every high and low. Apart from handling all the logistics surrounding the sport, Duque is his rock when things get intense. “When I’m in the heat of the moment, I talk to her and she tries to calm me down. She gets my head together,” he shares. Being together for seven years and counting, the two met when they were 13 years old and have stuck together since. Other than being his caddie, Duque is also an accomplished golfer who selflessly took a step back to support Ramos’ professional career. “I make sure that he gets to play uninterrupted. As a golfer, we don’t want to stress about other things,” says Duque. “She’s my boss,” says Ramos with a laugh.

His breakthrough moment came over a decade later in 2024 when he won his first professional title at the Lakewood Golf and Country Club in Nueva Ecija. As a tour winner, Ramos shot a bright flare skyward, signalling to the world that he is one of the Philippines’ fastest rising stars. “The win last year gave me a big confidence boost, since I missed my shot at the Asian Tour Qualifying School by one stroke,” he says. Drawing inspiration from his achievement, Ramos redeemed himself in 2025 and is currently competing on the Asian Tour and Asian Development Tour, where he’s pacing strongly while finding his footing in the pro scene. 

As for what the future holds, Ramos strives to win at the PGA Tour before reaching the pinnacle of golf, which is winning one of the four majors—the Masters Tournament, PGA Championship, U.S. Open, and British Open. “I want to be one of the best golfers, and to be that, I need to compete against the best,” he quips.

Given the well-travelled nature of golf, being constantly on the move can get expensive. Luckily for Ramos, his skill and promising career ahead of him have drawn multiple sponsors such as BMW Philippines, RSA Motors, Borough LASIK Centre, Transview and GoTyme Bank to ease the load by shouldering everything he might need while travelling the world—from daily essentials to plane tickets and equipment. “My sponsors cover every expense I might have. I'm so thankful for them because I don’t have to think about these things—I can just focus on the game... The big thing for us is the currency exchange. It’s tough to bring our own dollars whenever we travel, but it’s so much easier getting around abroad with the GoTyme card,” he says.

With both parents immersed in triathlons, Kira Ellis began racing almost as soon as she could walk—competing in Ironkids events by six years old. “We often joked that I was born into the sport because they would bring me to their training and races… They never forced it on me, I really enjoyed it,” she shares. When she turned 15, Ellis joined her first professional junior race in Subic Bay, where she finished 11th out of 32. A month later, she competed in the Asia Sprint Championship in Sejong, Korea, for her first international race. “I was with people I used to watch on TV and I was absolutely starstruck… I was the youngest in the field, and I was so shocked at everything. I followed everyone around like a puppy dog,” she says with a laugh.

While her early races showed the makings of a great triathlete, her rigorous training and discipline are what shaped her into a serious contender. Coached by her mother, Ellis starts the day early with a swim, which is followed by either biking or running, depending on the day. “We alternate my run and bike sessions. If I bike Monday, I run Tuesday, but towards race season, we tend to mix it up,” she shares. Balancing three disciplines, while challenging for most, comes effortlessly for Ellis. Growing up with the sport, she sees running, cycling, and swimming as a routine she’ll never get tired of. “It’s like waking up, brushing my teeth and washing my face. It feels weird when I’m not doing that,” she quips. However, as with all athletes, injuries can disrupt the whole flow. “Currently, I am injured, so I haven’t raced in eight months. I’m watching from the sidelines, and it hurts because I’m so eager to join, but I have to remember to be patient… There’s this fire burning inside me, and I’ve been held back for so long. I’m excited to start it up again.”

Her biggest achievement so far came in 2023 when she won a gold medal during the SEA Games for the mixed race relay in aquathlon, alongside Matthew Hermosa, Erika Burgos and Iñaki Lorbes. This win further propelled Ellis into the limelight—so much so that she’s being eyed to represent the Philippines in the Olympics one day.

Unfortunately, the pathway to success isn’t free. GoTyme Bank breaks the trend of corporations supporting athletes only after they’ve made it big—paving the way for them to do what they do best. “A lot of people online say that companies only fund athletes after you've succeeded in a sport. GoTyme Bank looks at those who are up and coming and helps them achieve their dreams. They really do see the ambition that me and the other athletes have… We go through so much, especially mentally. At least now, we don’t have to worry about the finances and just focus on training and performing,” says Ellis.

Despite the stage these athletes have set for themselves, their journey to greatness was not as smooth as we often want it to be. Ramos may occasionally falter during bad rounds, clouding his judgment. Eggesvik and Ellis face injuries that hamper training as they navigate the complexities of their sports. Meanwhile, Bustamante has experienced multiple near-miss situations that would convince anyone to retire. No matter the obstacle, however, they always find a way to get back up—stronger and with a renewed flame in their hearts. 

While early encouragement from their loved ones has sparked the dream, a sustained flame requires backing that meets them where they are now—when the stakes are at their highest. At this stage, rallying cheers can only get them so far. It needs to be tangible, consistent and practical.

Though their stories are different, these athletes share the same fiery passion that pushes them onward and upward—through any setback and injury. With the strength of their loved ones and the support of GoTyme Bank behind them, they’re able to chase their dreams, represent the Philippines on the world stage and inspire generations to believe that greatness isn’t a lone endeavour.

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