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Whatever

Despite not being liked in the Moro gym and having to do it in this dusty, poorly ventilated gym of ours, or as it is called by most, the "bodega", my teammates and I are okay because it does not matter where we have our weights program, as long as we're doing it right and we enjoy it so that the pain won't bother us (only by a little). We love this place and it's going to be a part of our still-being-written Ateneo memories. We will laugh about how dirty we get after doing explosive push-ups, how smelly it is doing lunges outside the bathroom next to the bodega and how there are a lot of leaves that are in our way when we do bounding going up the ramp.

We are contented with what we have and even though we got kinda kicked out of Moro Gym, all we can say is: Whatever. We're doing perfectly fine.

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Why here?

This is a part of the gym I go to and if this is the first thing you will see, you will not even know it can be functioned as a gym because it is filled with random equipment that waste space. Plus, it's really hot here, the only ventilation is the one from the bathroom, so the smell of pee is sometimes the scent of this place.

Why do I still choose to do my weights program here when there's a gym in the Moro Lorenzo?

1. Because it's near.

2. Because my coach would much rather have us to do it here.

3. My teammates and I would rather have it done here, and it's more fun to be with my teammates than with random people because you won't get insecure if you can't do an exercise right.

As said in the previous post, this place is a secret. It's a confidential reason that Coach Mick would not really want to talk about so I would rather not force to ask, but it's not only with Coach Mick, it also had something to do with our team using the Moro Gym that cannot be mentioned. Let's just say we weren't really liked.

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Hidden

Okay, this "gym" that I go to is not really known by most people. It is actually hidden from the office.

You will not even notice the door to this place because of its camouflage to the exterior wall of Blue Eagle Gym. Doing weights in this gym is kind of hard because of all the dust and broken equipment. Like these medicine balls and bench press equipment:

Although what's so special about this place is that this is one of the places where my teammates and I get to bond or suffer together in pain because of the work-out then just laugh it off. This place is hidden but, this may sound cheesy... my teammates and I found friendship here.

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Proving Oneself

It's common to hear about the "dumb jocks" stereotype especially that I'm an athlete myself. Sometimes, when I talk about other athletes with my family and friends, I get questions like "Oh, is he/she stupid?" or they say "Lagi siyang panalo kasi wala naman siyang ginagawa kung hindi maglaro lang naman eh. (He/she always wins because he/she doesn't do anything else but train anyway.)" It's hard when other people think of you like that even when you know that you go through more than just training. Such lines offend me in a way, since I've had my own achievements too and I know that people have talked behind my back. I know though that I can prove them wrong by improving on myself not just on court, but also off court, by trying to excel in other different activities. Constantly being reminded that there is someone who actually shows the opposite of this inspires me to be more than what people expect of me. 

To end my blog posts about Shannin Mae Olivarez on the "dumb jocks" stereotype, I asked Shannin what she would say to all athletes who are generalized this way. She said:

"I would advise them to continue pursuing their love for their sport and to use it as an instrument to inspire people to work harder to live up to the challenges. For me, getting good grades and being in the dean’s list does not necessarily complete you as a person. Getting into the dean’s list is just like any other achievement that can be lined up in the countless achievements that any athlete can have. For me, the competition for athletes that are balancing school and sports is not surpassing their teammates or classmates; it is all about surpassing yourself. The real competition is not the people around you saying that you are stupid; the real challenge is how you, as a student athlete, can actually prove to yourself that what they are saying is wrong. Having self-improvement and gaining more rather than getting good grades and winning all of your games is the most important aspect of being a student athlete. It is going outside of the classroom, and being confident enough to say that “I learned something that I can use in my life” and finishing a game saying “I have finally overcome my fears and pressures” is more worthy than getting high grades and winning a game. Therefore, I can say that we cannot control these people (the non-athletes) to make these “dumb jocks” stereotype, but at the end of the day, the main purpose is not to impress other people and to care about what they think of you. The main purpose is to be able to answer this question in the most effective way: with me being a student athlete, how much have I grown as a person?"

Thank you for following my blog posts! I hope that I was able to relay my message clearly and that you were open enough to see things in my perspective. Until next time! 

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MEDAL

James Reyes will always be a person I’ll look up to and I hope my readers will do the same too. He can surely rise to stardom as a student and athlete with his non-ending effort to do all things with no complaints. I need my readers to feel his humility despite everything he has done. Losing weight and the same time studying for ECE and focusing on his training, you’ll never get to really guess what his constant motivation is. When I asked him that, I was shocked by his answer because he said it was the medal. He said that it may sound too selfish but he said that he always dreams and aspired in standing at the top. Maybe that is what James really is. Not really needing the attention of other people but just himself to keep himself motivated. This is why James Reyes is worth featuring. Everything he has done has to be known by Ateneans and hopefully my readers can gain a lot of lessons from him and turn them into constant motivation and inspiration. 

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The Big Baller with Big Responsibilities

Practice, practice, practice. This is Kg's number one priority after school. Whenever he doesn't have training, he makes sure he shoots some hoops or lifts some weights in the Moro gym. It's amazing how he is able to balance all his school work with training, socializing and praying, since he follows his practices religiously. He never forgets to thank his Allah for all the blessings he has received. I once stumbled across his facebook and saw his schedule of praying and fasting. I was in awe because he did not give up on fasting despite having training at that time. With my perspective, I hope that i am able to show my readers how responsible and down-to-earth Kg is.

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Right Words From the Right Person

Another thing about Shannin is that she has all the right words to say to bring you up back your feet. She had gone through so much that she knows what it feels to be talked about in this certain way. 

In our interview, I asked her: What is your say on the generalization "if you're an athlete, then you're stupid?"

"The generalization “if you’re an athlete, then you’re stupid” stereotype is also called the “dumb jocks” stereotype. For me, I certainly do not believe in this generalization. This is because, first and foremost, most of the people who say this are not athletes. This means that they do not know the pain, the sacrifices and the struggles that each athlete has to go through everyday just to represent the school and get good grades at the same time. Second, athletes are smart and wise at the same time, because they made a good decision in their life to pursue and use their passion (the sport that they play), in order to get into a good school and to continue their studies at the same time. Balancing sports and academics is never easy, and that is why athletes should have every right to become a role model. In addition, athletes are not stupid people because the sport that they love to play becomes a microcosm of what life is: when you are an athlete, you tend to become wiser in life because the challenges that one faces in playing a certain sport can prepare them for the greater challenges that life has to offer them. This is one of the privileges that an athlete gets that a regular student does not get. Athletes can apply the discipline that they have garnered in their sport to their real life situations, making them more patient in life and knowing that if you want something, you have to work hard for it since you cannot take anything for granted."

I couldn't agree more to everything that she mentioned. It's very clear that she is very experienced and she knows exactly what to say to resolve this issue. In addition, I asked her what she would say to the readers of my blog regarding this generalization.

"My advice would just be to put their selves on the shoes of athletes. In that way, they would think twice about making those stereotypes about the athletes. By putting their self in an athlete’s shoes, they will realize the athlete’s passion for their sports, and their willingness to attain a bachelor’s degree at the same time."

These are things that people need to know about us athletes. We're way more than what you think we are.

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BasketTALL

This 6"11, 19 year old boy started practicing with Ateneo's basketball team (B) ever since he arrived from Senegal, West Africa. Whenever foreign players play during UAAP basketball games, it's inevitable to hear comments like: "They got him cause he's tall" "No talent yan, tangkad lang. Good for blocking." "No skills whatsoever got him lang to tower over other players" As mean as it may sound, it's true. I've been watching UAAP basketball games for 14 years and i've been hearing the same comments on foreign players, over and over again. This time, we have a game changer. Karbala Gueye is as talented as any UAAP basketball player there is. He knows the game by heart and plays the game with passion. Once he's on court, you can only see his love for the game and how hardworking he is. He learns from his mistakes and makes sure to go over the game plan. With this, I hope that my perspective on Kg can help make people realize that Kg is talented and worth the wait. He will change the view of people on foreign players. "I just let people appreciate what i'm doing. I'm just a player and my job is to bring something that can help the team win games." -Karbala Gueye

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Be More

For some reason, when people learn that one is an athlete, it’s either he/she gets praised for being talented, or he/she is looked down upon because of the generalization that athletes "have no brains."

 "Athletes don’t study."

"Athletes are stupid." 

"Athletes do nothing but play their sport."

 "Ah, basketball player? Bobo ba siya?" 

I honestly think that these are unnecessary to say, and above all, it's very offensive especially to those athletes who actually do more than what people think they do. Through Shannin, I hope that perspectives change. It's not fair to those who work hard not just in their sport, but also succeeding in other activities besides that. Being a student-athlete is honestly a very tiring role, and the least that people could do is to support us further, not bring us down by not even crediting the other important things that we do. Shannin serves as our voice. I'm quite sure that other athletes share the same sentiments as I do, and we no longer want to be labeled this way. With this, I know that we'll be able to gain respect, support, and consideration we deserve from others. 

To my dearest reader, I hope that you are open to this certain perspective that I want to create. In fact, change is good! Why not give it a shot? 

"We can be more if we wanted to. We all have a choice. I choose to be more, and you should too." -S. Olivarez

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Shannin Mae Olivarez... or should I say, ALL-ivarez?

If you ask me about her, I think I can say that she's able to do almost everything.

Sharing about Shannin from my perspective isn't enough to describe who she really is and what makes her different. I asked my teammates what they think of her, and these are the things they said:

"She's a great teammate because it's clearly seen that she cares for the team." 

"She's kind and humble considering her status and what she has achieved in tennis and academics."

"She's so hardworking! Theres always a constant improvement from round one to round two ever since she joined the team."

"What I love the most about her is how she manages her time. I know that she trains at 5am, which isn't really required, and continues to train with us on our respective training hours. Crazy how she's able to manage that even with a heavy load from her studies and responsibilities as a politician."

"For me, her personality is really balanced, even coming from a background of extremes. She came from Brent International School, and being a "rich kid" is usually the notion of the students from that school. Shannin defies this since as a politician, she's used to being with the masses as well."

It's clear that my teammates have a lot of good things to say about her. Even with the heavy baggage she carries everyday from school, tennis, and the government, she's still able to give time to help others with what they need. She's a responsible student, a determined athlete, and above all, a servant leader (both team and government wise). Not many people are able to handle being all of that and more, such as being an obeying daughter, a trustworthy friend, and a faithful mass-goer. She handles her time so well that she succeeds in almost everything she participates in. Of course, this comes with a certain amount of effort and hardwork. 

ALL-ivarez indeed! She's ALL that I actually desire to be. As an athlete myself, I'm motivated to be more than what people generalize me as. I know that I can do more than what people think I can achieve, and so I will. This just proves that Shannin can really serve as an inspiration and defying factor to such generalization. 

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Everyone Lifts the Dust

As someone who is allergic to dust and constantly sneezes in its aura, the bodega is really a tough place to be in, especially when doing a weights program that lasts for 30 minutes, when I can't even last for 10 minutes without sneezing or having sniffles. Although, despite all the dust surrounding the place, there are its perks when doing weights here:

1. You don't have to wait in line to use the equipment unlike in the Moro Gym.

2. I do weights here with my teammates and coaches only, who also guide and spot me when lifting heavy barbells.

Lastly,

3. It's close to a sari-sari store and the shower area where in you don't have to pay unlike in the Moro Gym that you have to pay 70 pesos just to take a shower.

Although this place should be kept as a secret and there's probably a small chance that it will be renovated and replaced with new equipment by the office or school, I like this place because it shows that you don't need good equipment or a fancy air-conditioned gym to do weights, you just need your perseverance and passion to be better and to lift yourself up.

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Bodegym

According to my sources, it turns out that the bodega is actually supposed to be nothing more but a storage place and not to be used as a gym.

Why?

The Bodega, as said by Gely Tiu my football coach, is only a place to put store the equipment of the Track and Field. It should not be a gym since it should be kept as a secret because of "some hassles and troubles with Moro." Although it should be kept as a secret gym, a rookie of the Track & Field team, Betty Margulies, says she still uses this twice a week during her trainings in the summer and she and her teammates go there to get and leave their equipment for training.

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Perseverance and Passion Go Hand-in-hand

I want people to see Papap as an athlete who is very passionate about Rowing. He is very driven to competition but at the same time he is selfless to his teammates. Having him as a captain for the past year, I have learned how to understand the pressure of being a team captain is just more than leading the team but it demands more than what people usually think of. You have to work hard to inspire others to work harder. Despite, the little support the school gives the team, he still does not give continue to give up in making the sport less overlooked and again this is Papap Garcia.

Thank you for following my blog posts!

One last picture of Papap for the recruitment poster of the Ateneo Rowing Team.

Image source: https://scontent-a-lax.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos-xfa1/v/l/t1.0-9/10516690_10151875619034567_1102819512681409606_n.jpg?oh=a1a7ce9cc6d32a7edfd0f24fbf03df7d&oe=55351A85 

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ON THE TOP

James Reyes is a student-athlete but not the same as others.  The first time I got to see him, my first thought that he is really a big guy but once I got to meet him, he has a kind heart and humble attitude.  Despite everything that he has done in studying hard and training passionately, James still tries to act out in being part of the normal people.  That’s what makes him very unique. You won’t expect something like that from him since he just wants to be part of the norm. This is what I want people to see for him that he is not just part of the norm because what he has done puts him on the top.

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KinG

Tall, athletic, passionate, humble, kind, and so much more. Kg is the type of person who’s just amazing inside and out. There are three things that make him stand out among others. One, the fact that he is very tall. Two, he’s foreign. Three, you will always see him greet everyone who comes his way with his big smile that can seriously brighten one’s day. If there’s one person who should know this, that would be me. I am very lucky to be block mates with Kg and be able to witness how humble and kind he is. During Orsem, he was one of my first few friends who i was able to connect and bond with. People only see and wave at him but never really had a chance to get to know him the way my block mates and I did. Through my article, I hope that i am able to show my fellow students the REAL Kg and at least make them feel his presence and actions through my experiences.

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2nd Dad

What makes him a remarkable personality amongst the other team captains? I mentioned earlier in the other posts, it was he who re-established the women’s team this year. Since the team had new inexperienced girls, his role as captain was doubled.  Currently, he is a mentor to the 28 athletes (both men and women’s team). As his teammate, I usually rely on his text messages on updates on training schedule. He makes sure that we attend training and guides us in the workout when coach is not around. He even helps us in load revisions for class schedules, booking flights for competition and makes sure that everyone is all right. Towards all of us he is very altruistic, he treats the team with respect, loves each one and very supportive. He would go out of his way to make sure a teammate is safe. He would also help a teammate with problems rowing related or not. But he is not only like this to the team but to his family and friends as well. Want to find out a few more details about him? Read up on my last post!

This picture was taken after my partner and I finished our very first event in Malaysia, since it was our first time he went to us right away just like a dad and told us how proud he was since it was our first time to compete.

Image source: https://fbcdn-sphotos-h-a.akamaihd.net/hphotos-ak-xap1/v/t1.0-9/p600x600/1653566_10204856277548172_5225094257702948804_n.jpg?oh=a6f09853a91a84fb8864734d29a9e0a1&oe=553AA04F&__gda__=1430459511_f02c07367fe18c0adcb63b552c5e5281

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Juggler But Not A Struggler

Well rounded. Experienced. Grounded.

Like I mentioned, she is one of the best players in our team, she is a junior in The Ateneo taking up AB Political Science, a deans lister, and a Kagawad in Parañaque City. If you hear her name around, maybe those are the only things you'll learn about her. People don't know that she's more than that and she really worked hard in order to be everything that she is today.

While many teenagers would be asleep the entire morning or occupied by parties every weekend, Shannin would wake up around 3:30AM to train from 4:00-6:00AM and later on from 5:00-7:00PM. Because of this, she was able to attain the 1st rank in her age-group in the Philippine Tennis Association. As a result, she had represented the country numerous times for the sport. On the other hand, way before entering College, her influential father, Pablo Olivarez, had already started molding her to become what she is now, a politician. If you go to Parañaque City, you won't be surprised how popular the Olivarez family is there. Her father was a former mayor of the City, whose place was taken by Shannin's brother. Likewise, her other older brothers became congressmen of the city, and lastly, being the youngest in the family, Shannin became a kagawad. Despite her tiresome daily routine, she still is able to become a deans lister. I remember Shannin being very anxious during University Games (Oct. 21-27), nope, not just because of the games, but also because of the release of the first semester grades. I clearly remember her screaming, jumping, and running around because she made it again. Deans lister again. That's when I really looked up to her and idolized her. How does she do it?!

She's also a part of Young Focus International, an organization with a goal "to support the spiritual and social development of young people in underprivileged communities through education." With all her responsibilities filling up her plate, she's still able to take her time off to reach out to those who need it most.

If she's not worth featuring, then I don't know what is.