Cover 2024 Olympians are inspiring new athletes in the Philippines with their advocacies (Photo: Carlos Yulo/Instagram)
2024 Olympians are inspiring new athletes in the Philippines with their advocacies (Photo: Carlos Yulo/Instagram)
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These Filipino athletes and Olympians strive to overcome numerous challenges in the sports community
All Filipino athletes and coaches agree that the sports community in the Philippines could be better. “How do we progress?” asked Gretchen Ho at a press event for a sports documentary film. “How do we compete as Olympians or competitive athletes against other superpower countries if we don’t give them the basics they need?” Ho is not alone in this battle; other athletes have also spoken out about the topic.
Several of them have already been advocating for important causes in the sports community—four of which are Olympians and are part of our roster of representatives at the 2024 Paris Olympics.
More from Tatler: Meet the 18 Filipino athletes set to compete at the Paris Olympics 2024
EJ Obiena - Monetary support
In 2023, Filipino pole vaulter EJ Obiena auctioned off the customised shoes he wore during the 32nd Southeast Asian Games in Cambodia. All proceeds were used to buy a new pole vault pit. According to the athlete, younger pole vaulters in the Philippine rural areas only use fibreglass poles and sawdust to train.
The lack of monetary support for niche sports athletes has always been one of Obiena’s biggest woes. He once shared that his team had experienced not being paid for over a year. “Payments are caught up in red tape,” he started. “Who would work free for over a year? [My team] has families to support and bills to pay. I am losing the team I desperately need. Nobody wins alone.”
Nesthy Petecio and Hergie Bacyadan - Inclusivity in sports
Olympian and boxer Nesthy Petecio is a proud LGBTQIA+ community member. She started boxing for self-defence when she was 11 years old. However, she was forced to join inter-barangay competitions to help her family due to financial struggles. Despite being matched to a male with a bigger build and more experience than her, she won and drew the attention of the Philippine Women’s team coach, Roel Velasco, and later became a national team member.
Petecio is the first Filipina boxer to win a medal in the Summer Games—the first Olympic boxing medal after 25 years. The silver medal in the Tokyo Olympics was not for herself and for her family but for the LGBTQIA+ community, which she is part of. “I am so proud of being a member of the community. I do not deny otherwise,” the athlete said.
Another athlete who is pushing for inclusivity in sports is LGBTQIA+ advocate Hergie Bacyadan, who identifies as a trans man. Bacyadan secured a spot in the Paris Olympics with a quarterfinal unanimous win over Maryelis Yriza of Venezuela in the Women’s 75kg of the 2nd World Boxing Olympic Qualification Tournament in Bangkok, Thailand.
Related: 10 historic firsts and significant features of Paris 2024 Summer Olympic Games
Carlos Yulo - Food security
Filipino gymnast Carlos Yulo has always been vocal about his roots. His community inspired him to be a gymnast and gave him the strength and courage to become the athlete he is today. Unsurprisingly, he would give back all the things he received tenfold.
“I want everyone to be blessed like that too—and that is why I choose to give back and share my blessings by advocating for food security and support to the youth to the best of my ability,” Yulo posts on Instagram. “So everyone can thrive in reaching their goals.”
The dedication of these Filipino Olympians extends beyond their personal achievements to their advocacy for various social causes.
EJ Obiena’s efforts to provide better training facilities for young pole vaulters highlight the need for better monetary support in niche sports. Nesthy Petecio and Hergie Bacyadan’s advocacy for LGBTQIA+ inclusivity in sports challenges the status quo and opens doors for more diverse participation. Carlos Yulo’s commitment to food security demonstrates how athletes can leverage their platforms to address broader social issues.
These Olympians not only inspire people through their performances but also through their actions off the field.
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Angela Nicole Regis Guiral is the assistant digital editor of 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.
