Silent Victories: 15 Filipina Athletes Who Conquered the ‘Invisible Game’ Against Body Insecurities

Inna Palacios

Inna Palacios spent most of her life playing football under the sun regardless of the weather. Yet, amid the victories she has won for both her alma mater and the country, the 31-year-old shared the difficulties of having uneven skin tone and viewing it instead as a symbol of commitment to sport.

“My mindset when I was younger was something that would really hold me back, but later on, you learn how to let go of the things you can’t control,” Palacios shares. Today, the professional goalkeeper continues to lend her gloves to the Philippines Women’s National Football Team, all while exploring new avenues that excite her curiosity. “Everything that you have is essentially the fruit of all the hard work you’ve done in the past years.”

Pauline Del Rosario

For Pauline Del Rosario, her love for the outdoors began after joining her father for a game of golf when she was just 6 years old, further developing her passion for the sport with each passing year. 

But with the need to adapt to both the varied climates of different countries and constant sunlight exposure, this became evident on her skin. “When I was younger, I noticed people kept looking at me, and would ask me about my tan lines. I never really tried to hide it, but it was something I heard a lot of growing up.”

Despite the white noise of remarks in and out of the golf course, Del Rosario later developed a sense of pride for her tanned skin, letting it be an extension of her identity as a Filipino with each open she competes in. “Knowing that you’re more than enough will anchor you through all of those unrealistic beauty standards,” she adds.

Jamie Lim

In choosing a sport that would resonate with their daughter, Jaime Lim’s parents would enroll her in various sports camps every summer, later discovering a love for Karate. As she developed her skills, Jaime had to navigate through all that came with sports, injuries included. From wearing loose clothing to hide her bruises to wearing sunglasses in the case of a black-eye, she thought she had to conceal.

However, the 27-year-old later found herself embracing the lingering marks on her skin, sharing, “It’s a badge of honor. I feel like they’re battle scars for me since I’m basically ‘fighting’ for the country.” With her refined sense of confidence and gratitude, Lim continues to represent the Philippines in martial arts while travelling in her leisure. “We might not be flawless, but I feel like that’s what makes it amazing, and that’s what makes life, life.”

Gene Quiambao

Becoming a triathlete was a path that Gene Quiambao’s curiosity paved for her while living in her native in Bukidnon, Mindanao. Since the age of 12, the 21-year-old set and broke records for the country, recently representing the Philippines during the SEA Games last 2023. “But I can’t lie, the constant pressures of being your best physically, emotionally, and mentally can be overwhelming. So when I gained weight, I practically lost it.”

Body dysmorphia was an underlying struggle for Quiambao, comparing her physique with that of other athletes, leading her to be critical of how she presented herself. “What truly helped me was realizing I wasn’t alone. I’ve met so many young women who felt the same pressures, and we reminded each other to not let our insecurities hold us back from the things we love, that we deserve to move freely, to be seen and to be proud of our bodies that carry us forward.”

Tricia Howard

Though she had only begun her career as a competitive tennis player in late 2020, Tricia Howard let her passions for the sport lead her to her dream school’s women’s lawn tennis team. The 21-year-old shares that her college years were also spent navigating her struggles with body weight, ultimately allowing her commitment to tennis to guide her to pursuing a more fulfilling lifestyle.

“I got to experience what it was like being skinny, but I also experienced what it was like being in the darkest place in your life. That’s when I realized that the extra weight that I had gave me the boost and energy to be my best on court,” she explains, “While the physical aspect of being an athlete is important, what’s gonna help you grow is the burning passion and desire you have in playing your sport.”

Trina Guytingco

Having grown up in the United States, Trina Guytingco became familiar with the challenges of her height as a basketball player. And even after honing endurance and accuracy, the shooting guard still felt hindered by her verticality. “When I got to high school, the competition grew even more. Despite growing to 5’7, I felt like I still didn’t have opportunities to play basketball after high school.”

During her collegiate years, the 27-year-old saw the fruits of her playstyle, a new sense of confidence and silver medals at the UAAP Season 78 and the 32nd SEA Games. “If I learned anything from my journey as an athlete, it’s not to give up despite your insecurities. Self-determination and willingness to be better outweighs self-doubt and outsiders telling you what you can and cannot do.”

Gabriella Venturina

Competitive powerlifter and streetlifter Gabriella Venturina shares that she has not veered from facing the criticisms that surround her stature, seeing them as sources for motivation instead. “I don’t try to hide it because for me, there’s nothing really wrong with being small,” she exclaims.  

The 28-year-old also believes that her size has opened opportunities for her to grow in self-esteem, encouraging others to see potential past their self-imposed limitations. “And once you’ve got these instilled within you, then that confidence that you need to surpass whatever challenge it’ll come naturally.”

Michelle Cobb

Before becoming the setter for her university and professional volleyball teams, Michelle Cobb was introduced to sports through swimming classes she and her sister took growing up. 

As she continued to find  growth in her sport, so did her insecurities, particularly with her broad shoulders and arms. Yet, instead of letting the changes in her body weigh her down, she used them as an anchor for self-confidence, emphasizing both friends and family who encouraged her that her physique was unique. “The countless coaches [and teammates] that I’ve played alongside would always share positive feedback, and I love how they see me as a strong woman,” she shares.

For the 26-year-old, she hopes to see the next generation adopt such a mindset, encouraging one another’s uniqueness and recontextualizing their perception toward body standards. “Don’t be afraid to ask for help because then you can see which aspects you want to take in, and from there you can improve yourself as you grow older,” she adds.

Kaizen Dela Serna

Kaizen Dela Serna has been exploring through sports, starting as a gymnast at the age of seven and later trying her hand in swimming, biking, and climbing. “Out of all the sports, I fell in love with obstacle racing because I enjoyed the thrill of each course and the challenges it gave.”

However, amid balancing her careers as a professional obstacle course racer, a student, and a model, Dela Serna shares how she had to navigate the intricacies of having broad shoulders. “I caught myself constantly dieting, hoping that it would make my body look slimmer,” she intimates.

Today, the 23-year-old shares that she continues to grow in understanding herself better, describing her approach to self-love as being centered on self-assurance and fulfilling habits. “Our bodies reflect our hard work, our perseverance, and our grit as athletes, so I think it’s really important that we learn to love it because it allows us to hone our strength and confidence.”

Jasmine Alkhaldi

Before she even learned how to swim, Jasmine Alkhaldi’s mother claims that her admiration for water came to her since birth. “If anything, I learned how to swim first before I even knew how to run,” she says laughing.

In pursuing her sport professionally, the 31-year-old shared that her constant tan and toned muscles started as a point of insecurity for the young Olympian, pushing her to look for means to avoid lifting heavy weights during training. “And when they started adding filters on social media, I used to use those filters that made me look lighter, and my closest friends would call me out for it,” she recalls, “But it’s having those people in your corner to remind you of the truth that gave me that confidence.”

By embracing these qualities, Alkhaldi believes that being with the right support system is what will help discover that overlooked motivation. “Ask yourself why you do what you do, and once you figure that out, do things that would help achieve those goals. It’s not going to happen overnight, but you’ll get there,” she expresses.

Gabbie Delgado

After countless visits to her childhood friend’s boxing gym, Gabbie Delgado embraced her curiosity for kickboxing, balancing her athletic passions with her budding modeling career. Regardless, the 23-year-old dealt with the contrasting standards of both industries, emphasizing how her thighs would affect her creative outlet.

In spite of the differences, Delgado recognized the confidence that being an athlete has given her, encouraging others to realize their deeper potentials in the sports they wish to excel in. “The power that your body holds is so much stronger than the judgement that people hold toward you.”

Ariana Evangelista

Upon discovering her love for cycling at a young age, Ariana Evangelista found herself captivated by the sights, sounds and connections she made with each trip. But in exploring various locations across the Philippines, the 28-year-old shared that she later found herself learning how to address her uneven skin tone and muscular legs.

“I’m proud of how hard I’ve trained throughout these years, and with how they look now, it makes me feel like a strong athlete.” Evangelista also shared her gratitude for her immediate circle of friends and family who have supported her amid challenges. “Though it takes a lot of mental and emotional maturity to ignore the unnecessary criticisms, building daily habits and a sense of self-awareness will help more than you would expect.”

Sofia Gonzalez

Having spent 15 years of her life honing skill in gymnastics, Sofia Gonzalez has represented the Philippines in SEA games and later being recruited for the UCLA women’s gymnastics team. Due to the sudden change of environment, the young professional struggled with being comfortable in her own skin, noting her tanned complexion and larger thighs. 

“How I came over these insecurities had a lot to do with self-reflection,” she explains, “One day, I shifted my focus and had this realization that my body is powerful. I mean, my thighs are the reason why I’m able to run, and jump, and do all these flips the way I know best,” she shares. Though currently retired, Gonzalez continues to share her knowledge with the next generation of gymnasts, all while exploring creative hobbies in photography in her private time.

Zara Carbonell

Having simply joined her husband for a co-ed game of flag football in 2022, Zara Carbonell has since grown a passion for the sport, later participating in inter-organization competitions to representing the Philippines overseas. Prior to sports, the 32-year-old previously walked the runway as a contestant for Miss World 2017. 

“Even during the whole pageant, I felt like a fish out of water since I was deemed ‘too athletically built’,” she shares. And though she was facing an opposite opinion from sports, Carbonell saw such criticisms as a source of motivation, encouraging her to wear shorts on the field despite hearing passing comments. “These so-called ‘flaws’ that people tend to pinpoint are the very reasons why you can run faster, take stronger hits, and ultimately make up who you are,” she exclaims.

Einica Buhain

Having been the centerback of her collegiate football team, Einica Buhain has since shifted to a more adventurous lifestyle with her partner Javier de Liaño. Yet as she reflects on her years as a student-athlete, the content creator recalls how her team encouraged her to grow past her body dysmorphia.

“My biggest insecurity as an athlete had always been my thick thighs and broad shoulders,” she shares, “While these features helped with my performance in the sport, I’d constantly find myself scrolling through the accounts of female models, which in turn made me insecure of my body.” Despite these challenges, she shares that her teammates gave her solitude. “Luckily, within my sport, I had an amazing support system from my teammates. We shared everything, so it was through them that I felt the most accepted and understood.”

Though she now focuses her time on creating content online as well as connecting with family and friends, Buhain hopes to see a future where athletes are more sympathetic to their careers but more so to themselves. “I would encourage my fellow female athletes to be kinder to themselves and appreciate what their body can do rather than how it compares to others. Celebrate how their body feels when it’s strong and surround themselves with people who uplift and embrace them for who they are.”