Cover Why is it that even with women thriving in sports, athlete mums struggle? (Photos: Evident; Getty Images; edited by Angela Nicole Guiral)
Why is it that even with women thriving in sports, athlete mums struggle? (Photos: Evident; Getty Images; edited by Angela Nicole Guiral)
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Despite women making significant strides in the world of sports, athlete mums like Filipina martial artist and marketer Erica Samonte continue to face challenges
About 13 years ago, Filipina athlete Erica Samonte was presented with the opportunity of a lifetime: to represent her country in the Southeast Asian Games. It was not an easy decision to make. At the time, she was making waves in her burgeoning professional career, managing a demanding 9-to-6 job. Despite the fierce demands of the National Karate Team and her work, she took the shot. And she thrived. That same year, she brought home two bronze medals from the Games.
What began as a way to avoid joining the Girl Scouts through basketball and a summer activity in karate turned into a lifelong passion for Samonte. She did not know that these two sports would mean so much to her—even allowing her to achieve international recognition. “I always looked forward to basketball training after school, and karate training on weekends,” she says. “I fell in love with these sports.” She balanced these with her academics, a testament to her time management skills that would prove invaluable in the future.
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Above Filipina athlete Erica Samonte training at the Karate-Dojo Kelkheim, Germany (Photo: Evident)
Filipina athlete Erica Samonte training at the Karate-Dojo Kelkheim, Germany (Photo: Evident)
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Years later, close friends of Samonte would wholeheartedly agree that she is a force to be reckoned with. Professionally, she excels in marketing technology. When she’s not strategising for the marketing agency Evident, you can find her on the basketball court, delivering a powerful roundhouse kick in karate, or cheering on her kids at their sporting events. Her story is one of dedication, passion, and unwavering commitment to being a well-rounded athlete mum.
Motherhood was a new chapter in Samonte’s life that she happily embraced, but this didn’t mean she abandoned her love for basketball and karate. Her commitment remained unchanged. “Those two sports are a big part of me. Basketball dictated my days back in high school and college. Karate dictated my life from college until my first job,” she says.
Related: The Game Changers: Here are some of the most prolific Filipino athletes throughout the decades
Above Erica Samonte won two bronze medals in the women’s team kumite and women’s -50kg kumite at the SEA Games 2011 (Photo: Evident)
Erica Samonte won two bronze medals in the women’s team kumite and women’s -50kg kumite at the SEA Games 2011 (Photo: Evident)
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Samonte’s athletic pursuits have also inspired her children to engage in sports. Her kids—Hans and Jade—are currently participating in jiu-jitsu, karate, and golf. Like their mother, Hans and Jade are also achieving notable success in athletics, with Hans earning two golds and a silver from jiu-jitsu competitions, and Jade securing a silver medal in her first tournament on April 21, 2024.
As a mother, Samonte instils the value of hard work and perseverance in her children, always encouraging them to give their best effort in everything they do. “[What] I always tell them is to do their best regardless of what they’re doing. Whether they’re learning a new technique, doing pushups, or even doing chores at home; give it your best,” she says.
Indeed, while her school days and professional career demanded that she balance her time with sports, transitioning into motherhood presented a different challenge—one which she gracefully accepted. However, societal stereotypes still persist.
“People don’t expect mums to be athletic or good at sports.”
“People don’t expect mums to be athletic or proficient in sports,” Samonte notes, highlighting how these comments reflect societal perceptions of mothers. “I often receive surprised reactions that they can’t believe I’m a mom of two kids because I run fast, kick high, or punch hard.”
This wasn’t the first time athlete mums like Samonte faced gendered prejudice. During a panel discussion organised by Evident to celebrate International Women’s Day 2024, she recounted an experience from the 2011 SEA Games that underscored society’s ongoing struggle to appreciate women in sports fully.
“Women are expected to do many things and play many roles before people say they’re really good.”
“When I was covered by the media, it wasn’t amazing because I won a bronze. It was amazing because I won a bronze medal, and because I’m working and a woman,” Samonte reflects. She notes that broader societal views still hesitate to give women’s sports the attention and investment they deserve. “Do I have to be so many things? Can’t I just win a bronze? Women are expected to do many things and play many roles before people say they’re really good.” Despite these offhand comments and biases, Samonte remained committed to sports.
Above In attendance during Equal Play Media Mixer, standing from left to right: Samantha Lee, Film Director; Erica Samonte, national athlete, now digital marketer at Evident; Luisa Morales, Journalist; Tin Ferrera, VP and SecGen, Philippine Trail Running Association, Proponent of Girls Running in Trails; Cecile Dominguez-Yujuico, Founder and CEO of Evident; Ceej Tantengco, Podcaster, Go Hard Girls; and Mariana Lopa, Managing Director, Girls Got Game Philippines, Inc (Photo: Evident)
In attendance during Equal Play Media Mixer, standing from left to right: Samantha Lee, Film Director; Erica Samonte, national athlete, now digital marketer at Evident; Luisa Morales, Journalist; Tin Ferrera, VP and SecGen, Philippine Trail Running Association, Proponent of Girls Running in Trails; Cecile Dominguez-Yujuico, Founder and CEO of Evident; Ceej Tantengco, Podcaster, Go Hard Girls; and Mariana Lopa, Managing Director, Girls Got Game Philippines, Inc (Photo: Evident)
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In the face of societal stereotypes and gendered prejudices, athlete mums like Erica Samonte exemplify resilience and determination. From balancing a demanding career and athletic pursuits to embracing the joys and challenges of motherhood, she continues to break barriers, challenge perceptions, and inspire countless others.
As she looks ahead, Samonte hopes for a future where women’s achievements in sports—athlete mums included—are celebrated on their merits alone, paving the way for her children and future generations to pursue their passions freely and without constraint.
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Angela Nicole Regis Guiral is a digital editor at Tatler Philippines. She studied journalism and has since written features that look closely at how culture, lifestyle and social impact converge, while occasionally wandering into the worlds of style and travel.
