These athletes are proving that Filipinas can do both — strive for athletic excellence while raising a family.
Being an athlete isn’t an easy job — they spend hours training, push their bodies to their limits, and make sacrifices to stay in tip-top shape. Being a mother isn’t easy, either — they are responsible for raising and supporting their kids, and they make sacrifices for their family, not to mention the physical toll it takes to have a child in the first place.
Now, put those two roles together and what do you have? Super moms.
Balancing these two can seem almost impossible, but these Filipinas are proving that being a mom and an athlete can be done.
Dindin Santiago-Manabat
Dindin Santiago-Manabat is not only one of the stars of the Premier Volleyball League. On top of competing for the Akari Chargers, she is also a mom to her daughter, Chloe, whom she lovingly calls Chuchi.
Over the years, Dindin has shared many posts on social media of Chloe playing volleyball or doing some drills, taking after her mother. Could she be a next-generation volleyball star?
Josie Gabuco
Josie Gabuco is best known for her historic boxing achievements. The Filipina athlete is a five-time Southeast Asian gold medalist, she won a gold medal in the 2019 Asian Amateur Boxing Championships, and most notably, she became the first Filipino to win a gold medal in the AIBA Women’s World Boxing Championships — all this while raising her son, whom she had as a single mom when she was only 20 years old.
Josie has admitted in past interviews that being a single mom was tough, but being a mother gave her that extra motivation every time she competed — and that motivation led her to become one of the most successful female boxers in the country.
Bea Daez-Fabros
A former basketball player, a TV host, a sportscaster, a businesswoman, and a mother to two children — Bea Daez Fabros can do it all.
For the last few years, Bea has been gracefully balancing all of her gigs in the sports world, from hosting shows to being involved in basketball camps, with raising her daughter. And just a few months ago, their family of three became a family of four, as she recently gave birth to her second daughter!
Fille Cainglet-Cayetano
In her Instagram bio, Fille Cainglet-Cayetano introduces herself as a #mamathlete, and she has every right to be proud of being able to live up to this title.
Fille is a mother of three, a role which she balances well with her thriving volleyball career. After the birth of each of her children, she always fought hard to bounce back, return to the court, and win more and more titles in the PVL.
Marestella Torres-Sunang
Marestella Torres-Sunang was known as the long jump queen, and rightfully so. She has won four gold medals from the Southeast Asian Games and a gold medal from the Asian Athletics Championships, and most impressively, she has competed in the Olympics thrice for the long jump athletics event.
With this, she has been a source of pride for Filipinos, given her success on the international stage. But an even more rewarding role she has taken on is the role of mother. Getting back in shape after having her son was a challenge, but her son made her tougher as an athlete. After bouncing back, she competed in the 2016 Rio Olympics with her son as her inspiration, proving to Filipinas that making a comeback is indeed possible.
Banner images from Dindin Santiago-Manabat and Bea Daez-Fabros on Instagram.
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