“Every time I represent the Philippines, I want it to come from my heart.”
Initially, Bernalyn Bejoy wanted to try sports because of one thing: “I had classmates who were enrolled in track and field. I asked my advisor, ‘Why do they go home so early?’ He replied, ‘Because they’re athletes! They need to go to training.’” That was all the motivation she needed, only to later find joining the team would result in the opposite. “All I really wanted was to go home early, but turns out training lasted ‘til 6 PM!” she says with a laugh. “But I was enjoying myself. I would forget it was time to go home.”
Being an athlete also paved the way for other experiences: her first plane ride, traveling from Bacolod to Davao for Palarong Pambansa. An athletic scholarship at De La Salle University, where she’s among their prized representatives in the UAAP. And a place in the history books as part of the team that set a new national record in relay at last year’s SEA Games.
“When we finished, it wasn’t on my mind that we broke the record; we were just happy we were second place,” she says in Filipino, behind gold medalists Vietnam. “During awarding, we were surprised that we broke the 30-year-old record by our legends Elma Muros and Lydia de Vega. I cried.”
When she sings Lupang Hinirang, tears also flow. “Every time I represent the Philippines, I want it to come from my heart,” she says. For her, hearing the national anthem tunes out the negative feelings and replaces them with two things: pride and honor. “You bring the flag on your chest,” she says. “I’m running not only for myself but for my country.”
This month, Vogue Philippines pays tribute to stories of grit, determination, and the pursuit of excellence. Below, meet more of the athletes who continue to shatter the glass ceiling of sports.