Former Olympians share experiences in Olympic Day Webinar
Miggy Dumlao • July 2, 2021
With the Tokyo 2020 Olympics finally set to push through after a one year delay, Olympians and fans are excited about the greatest sporting competition in the world to get under way.
The dreams of athletes to represent their countries are set to be achieved while their nation’s citizens collectively hold their breath and pray that they’ll bag that gold medal when they compete from July 23 to August 8.
While everyone is looking forward to the Olympics, there is one milestone that the world celebrated with the International Olympic Committee (IOC) just recently. The International Olympic Day is celebrated every year on June 23 to celebrate the founding of the IOC back in 1894.
According to the Olympics’ website, “The Olympic Day is a celebration of sport, health, and being the best you can be. It invites everyone around the globe to be active.”. The Olympic Day is also a celebration of the Olympic values of Excellence, Friendship, and Respect.
The Philippine Olympic Committee (POC) celebrated Olympic Day with several events such as the Move Challenge and a workout series featuring several national athletes. The POC also held a webinar where three former Philippine Olympians talked about their lives now and experiences representing the country.
Hosted by Akiko Thomson – Guevara, herself a former Olympian for swimming, the webinar featured Rey Fortaleza (1976 Boxing), Jasmin Strachan – Simpao (2000 Taekwondo), and Mary Joy Tabal (2016 Marathon).
Rey Fortaleza, who is the third in his family to represent the Philippines in the Olympics, is now a community leader and media entrepreneur in Canada. Strachan – Simpao, who represented the Philippines in the first Olympics where Taekwondo was first recognized as an Olympic sport, is now a faculty member in the University of Santo Tomas where she is also the head coach of the women’s taekwondo team.
Tabal is the lone active athlete among the trio. She is also the first ever Philippine athlete to qualify for the women’s marathon when she competed in Rio 2016. And while she did not qualify for the Tokyo Olympics, is keeping her head high and aiming for the 2021 South East Asian Games.
On the Olympics, the trio shared their experiences representing the nation and all three had varying stories.
Fortaleza was 18 years old when he competed in the 1976 Montreal Olympics where he was defeated in the quarterfinals. Fortaleza and his team contested the judges decision leading to the loss however it was not overturned. After the Olympics he became the first ever gold medalist for the Philippines in the SEA Games.
Tabal’s olympic story was a roller coaster as she was the last to qualify and thus in the event itself she lacked support. She didn’t have a team to support her to give her cold water during the race unlike other competitors. Her whole body was cramping up during the race and she just pushed through.
When she was one kilometer away from the finish line Tabal said to herself, “Sige lang, kaya mo yan, you just have to reach that finish line and become an Olympian”.
Strachan – Simpao’s olympics was also unique in that she was one of the first athletes to compete in Taekwondo when it officially became an Olympic sport.
“It was a blessing and everything just falls into place according to God’s plan”, she said.
Ending the webinar with messages to future athletes who want to follow in their path, the Olympians highlighted determination, dedication, and focus.
Fortaleza also said that the government should give more incentives to athletes as motivation to perform.
Tabal was much more philosophical and advised athletes to become introspective to find their own motivations and passion.
“Find your authentic self, your passion. You’ll see that because you’re happy doing it, whatever challenges come you will fight because you like doing it. You’re willing to take all the risks.”, she said.
The three guests held their heads high and represented our country well in their time. This coming Tokyo games more Olympians are following in their footsteps to capture that elusive gold medal. Let us all support them in their quest to bring glory to the Philippines.
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David Lappartient (left) and Olympic Committee (POC) President Abraham "Bambol" Tolentino (right)
Olympic Committee (POC) President Abraham "Bambol" Tolentino
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A BRAND new indoor velodrome now cast a shadow over a similarly International Cycling Union (UCI)-grade BMX track, but perched in the heart of several other sports facilities that mark Tagaytay City as a world-standard sports hub is a glimmering stainless steel 12-foot statue of National Hero Dr. Jose P. Rizal clad in fencing gear greeting everyone at the main entrance of the new City Hall. “It’s a tribute to our National Hero the sportsman, the athlete,” said Abraham “Bambol” Tolentino, the outgoing mayor who’s left a legacy not only as an excellent leader of the world-famous city but as the father of all Philippine sports. “We Filipinos know very well that Dr. Jose Rizal excelled in everything he engaged in and in sports, he was a fencer par excellance, a sharp shooter and if there were titles during his time, a grandmaster of ahedres—chess,” added Tolentino, president of the Philippine Olympic Committee and PhilCycling. A string of celebratory events marked the introduction of Dr. Rizal the fencer at City Hall—inauguration of the 250-meter wooden Tagaytay City Velodrome that helped highlight blessing ceremonies for more than a dozen brand new facilities including the modern-designed City Hall along Isaac Tolentino Avenue. Tolentino brought members of the POC Executive Committee—onboard the city’s e-trikes—after their meeting at Papa Bolo Brewery and Restaurant before heading to the velodrome where close to 2,000 athletes, sports officials and Tagaytay City crowd witnessed the inauguration of the first of its kind—and one of a few in the Asean region—cycling facility. On hand to lead the ribbon-cutting ceremony with Tolentino and Cavite’s first woman governor, Athena Tolentino, was Asian Cycling Confederation president Dato’ Amarjit Singh Gill as well as Philippine Paralympic Committee president Mike Barredo, Tagaytay City Vice Mayor Agnes Tolentino and Cavite Eighth District Rep. Aniela Tolentino. Double Olympic gymnastics gold medalist Carlos Yulo and fellow medalist boxer Nesthy Petecio graced the event with POC officials and national sports association leaders.
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PHILIPPINE Olympic Committee and cycling federation president Abraham “Bambol” Tolentino inspects two bikes of the Thailand cycling association headed by General Decha Hemkasri.
Aira Villegas (left), Fr. Eugenio Lopez, Philippine Olympic Committee (POC) president Abraham “Bambol” Tolentino, Carlos Yulo, and Nesthy Petecio
PHILIPPINE Olympic Committee president Abraham “Bambol” Tolentino (third from left) with (from left) coaches Jessica Pfister and Miguel Gutierrez,, Marc Pfister, Enrico Pfister, Christian Haller and Curling Pilipinas playing president Benjo Delarmente.
Philippine men’s curling team celebrates after winning historic first ever Southeast Asia’s gold medal in winter games.
David Lappartient (left) and Olympic Committee (POC) President Abraham "Bambol" Tolentino (right)
Olympic Committee (POC) President Abraham "Bambol" Tolentino
