Pauline Lopez is more than an athlete and more than a coach. Outside the dojang, she’s a role model, too.
There’s a good chance you’ve run into Pauline Lopez recently. Not at the mall, not at the gym — but along a major Metro Manila highway.
If you pass the Skyway often, specifically around the Stage 3 area, you’ve probably spotted a huge Nike billboard that reads, in big bold letters, “BEAT TRAFFIC.” It’s impossible to miss, and accompanying the slogan is a striking image of Filipino Taekwondo star, Pauline Lopez.
When the billboard first went up, Pauline took to her social media accounts to express her gratitude and honor, as she became the first Filipina athlete to be featured on a prominent Nike billboard.
“Crazy!” Pauline exclaimed during an exclusive interview with The GAME. “I think around last year, November or December, Nike said, ‘You might be featured on a billboard.’ But I’ve learned to just not even expect anything, because you won’t get disappointed, right?
“But when I got the message in January, I was like, ‘What? What are you talking about? Are you sure?’ This is something I manifested maybe 10 years ago, when I would visit the Philippines, I said I want a billboard with the things I do in sports!”
The excitement was palpable, even months after the billboard first went up. She is still in awe of the honor of representing Filipinas in this way, and it serves as a reminder of everything she went through as a national athlete.
Pauline Lopez’s journey as a Taekwondo athlete was filled with ups and downs. She left her hometown in California at a very young age to start representing the Philippines at major tournaments, and though she proudly boasts medals from the Southeast Asian Games, the Asian Games, and the Asian Taekwondo Championships, she also faced her share of struggles — losses, burnout, and doubt.
READ MORE: The GAME’s May 2025 Cover Story with Pauline Lopez
But this strengthened her faith in her journey.
“It reminded me that everything I did, I guess, was worth it,” she said with a tender smile on her face. “How many people can say they got to experience that?”
And this is only the beginning for Pauline. Although she has left the life of a competitive athlete, the 28-year-old is making the entire world her own personal dojang.
Beyond the podium
There’s another place you may have run into Pauline Lopez recently: at Araneta Coliseum, during the 2025 Sabrina Ionescu Asia Tour.
During a contemporary dance number at Sabrina’s Craft the Future Showcase held at the Big Dome, you may have recognized familiar faces joining the dancers on the court. Alyssa Valdez, Camille Clarin, Louna Ozar, and Pauline Lopez each played a vital part in the enthralling number, as their presence on the court served as a representation of Filipinas in the sports industry.
Pauline was honored to be surrounded by like-minded individuals and fellow Filipina champions — and of course, Sabrina Ionescu.
And she continues to thrive in the spotlight. Pauline also excitedly revealed that she will be starring in an upcoming Netflix movie, Buy Bust 2, also starring Anne Curtis.
“On top of our [talent agency] being a sports agency, it’s also an acting agency, so they have actors and influencers, and [they asked me] to try a workshop, so I said, ‘Sure, why not?’ I do love human behavior, I do love observing, and when I took the workshop, I was like, ‘Wow, I love the challenge.’”
Never one to back down from a challenge, Pauline started to truly enjoy the art of acting. She likens it to competing in Taekwondo. As she expressed, acting is all about being present, and when she practices this new skill, she is always taken back to her competing days.
Now, she is set to land on Netflix screens for the film later this year.
Indeed, Pauline Lopez is getting a lot of much-deserved attention at the moment, from her big Nike billboard to her acting stint. But being in the limelight is not something she takes lightly. She knows that with every move she makes, she is setting an example for other young Filipinas who look up to her.
“I think it’s like a responsibility,” the SEA Games gold medalist said. “That’s always something I say. We don’t have to do this, but it is a responsibility because what you’re doing can actually set an example; you’re walking the talk…
“I had seniors who weren’t even looked at as leaders, but because they’re women and they’re doing what they’re doing, I looked up to that.”
Being a woman in sports is not something that Pauline takes lightly, especially now that she has started her own brand, SHERO, a platform she uses to coach and mentor young Filipinos in the sport of Taekwondo.
“Since I started teaching, I didn’t know that [my students] actually valued what I say. I thought they were just scared of me and they wanted to just win, but no, they’re actually valuing stuff beyond sports and making decisions and having conversations about what really matters,” she shared.
“It’s inspiring when you hear what they have to say. I mean, Sabrina [Ionescu] was just here, she’s in basketball, and yet, I’m just like in awe with what she’s doing, not just because she’s so good and talented, but what she’s really doing is inspiring the game and the women’s empowerment movement.”
Pauline’s life outside of the dojang is every bit as vibrant as her life as an athlete. She’s taking every adventure head-on and enjoying every moment as they come.
But for her, the most important thing is staying grounded amidst all the attention. This Filipina is cognizant of the role she plays as a role model to others, and with a platform that’s continuing to grow, she wants to make the most out of it.
“You don’t know who you’re going to impact, you don’t know who’s going to look up and say, ‘I want to do that, too.’…I’m not saying I’m the best model but I’m glad I’m at least making a dent with the world we live in today.”
Images taken by Kieran Punay of KLIQ, Inc.