Motivational Tactics We Can Learn from Athletes in The Philippines

What are some motivating principles we can pick up from local Filipino athletes?

1. The intense work ethic of Hidilyn Diaz.
2. Ian Lariba’s high performance and life balance.
3. Adeline Dumapong-Ancheta’s overcoming of adversities.
4. The honing and sculpting of raw talent by Alyssa Valdez.

Athletic endeavors and feats have always mimicked real life in very humanistic ways. No matter who or where you are in life, we are all faced with challenges, from the day-to-day to major obstacles. It is our duty as persons to always give our best with the proper mental frame and motivation. If you are a coach, teacher or a motivational speaker in the Philippines there’s so much to learn from watching champions of sport and understanding their backgrounds.

When learning about everything that goes behind the driving force of the nation’s top athletes, we can see that there are a lot of universal themes that mirror our own challenges. The Philippines has always been a humble breeding ground for some of the world’s best athletes and legendary sportsmen. Through the stories of these individuals, we can pick up some meaningful lessons that we can apply to our own lives. Here are some Filipino athletes that have seen tremendous success in their individual sports:

1. Hidilyn Diaz (Olympic Weightlifting Silver Medalist)

Photo Source: Rappler.com

The 2016 Olympic Games in Rio was a landmark event in Philippine sporting history. Hidilyn brought home the silver medal for the 53-kg women’s weight class, ending a 20-year span of a medal-less Philippines. Olympic Weightlifting is arguably not just one of the world’s most physically but as well as mentally demanding sports –you have to learn to love pain and relentless work.

Hidilyn has always been a strong competitor in the different World Weightlifting Championships. She continues to be a great inspiration to Filipino society today by breaking stereotypes about women and Olympic Lifting. Her humble background growing up in the province and dominating international Youth Games speaks volumes about her tenacity for hard work.

2. Ian Lariba (World Champion in Table Tennis)

Photo Source: International Table Tennis Federation

Ian is one of the youngest Filipinas that made an incredibly impressive name for herself on a global sporting scale. She is the first Filipina to represent the nation on the Olympic stage. She was also the champion of the 2014 World Table Tennis Team Championship in Japan.

Above all this, she also competes for the De La Salle University Varsity Team. Being a student in one of the country’s most prestigious and high-standard universities shows us that it is indeed possible to achieve our own individual life balances, no matter how daunting, and still achieve world-class greatness.

3. Adeline Dumapong-Ancheta (Paralympic Powerlifting Champion)

Photo Source: ABS-CBN News

Around the age of 6, Adeline was found to be diagnosed with Polio. She has always been a dominant competitor for the Philippine International Powerlifting Team.

Adeline hails from the provincial mountains of Ifugao. She won the bronze medal at the 2000 Paralympics in Sydney. Powerlifting is not just a game of brute strength, Adeline proves to be a strong woman both inside and outside; she showed that it’s possible to overcome any given conditions and still come out exceptionally successful.

4. Alyssa Valdez (UAAP Volleyball Phenom)

Photo Source: INQUIRER.net

In the Philippines, college and university sporting leagues for Basketball and Volleyball are taken very seriously and generate a lot of buzz from their passionate fans. Alyssa Valdez gained the reputation for being a distinct force in the UAAP Volleyball league. Representing Ateneo De Manila, she has been crowned as the team’s MVP and is a 3-time best server in the league.

Alyssa is currently signed to play for the professional Thailand volleyball leagues. Through Alyssa, we can see that raw talent in whatever facet is evident in each individual, it is up to us on how we discover and further cultivate this through razor-sharp focus in the achieving of our goals.

Key Takeaway

Sports have been around since the dawn of civilization, dating back to the ancient Greeks –it’s one of the things that keeps us together as humans. All over the world, more and more people are finding inspiration from looking to their celebrated local athletes. Motivation is the fuel that keeps us going when we find ourselves in the process of growing as individuals.

These athletes and the sentiments of their work ethic can be fundamental tools for any motivational speaker in the Philippines. Standing up in the face of fear and overcoming pressure have always been one of the cornerstones giving life to the true Filipino Spirit.