Motherhood is a beautiful thing indeed, and so are these women.
From unequal pay to crude comments from unruly fans, women in sports have more hurdles to overcome than their male counterparts. Plus, when they get pregnant and go through childbirth, they are changed physically and emotionally in ways men will never fully understand.
Almost every second of their time is devoted to recovery, all while handling the responsibility of nurturing a human being. To come back into sports in top form after a life-altering experience as such is quite unimaginable.
But hey, women are amazing. They’ve been able to get past that daunting obstacle and more. The following Filipina mother-athletes have shown us exactly how it’s done.
Marestella Torres-Sunang (Long jump)
Before giving birth to her son in 2013, Sunang already won nine prestigious medals, including five golds in the Asian long jump scene. She could’ve called it a career right there, and she would’ve still wound up as one of the all-time greats. But Marestella found a way to fulfill her motherly duties while training for competition.
As a result, the long jump queen added three more bronze medals to her collection from 2015 to 2017—two of which came from the SEA Games. At 41 years old, she went out on her own terms as she represented the country at the 31st edition of the biennial event before passing the torch to the next generation.
Dindin Santiago-Manabat (Volleyball)
The 6-foot-2 National University Lady Bulldogs product was one of the best middle blockers in the nation when she gave birth to a baby girl in 2016. After coming back from her maternity leave, she remained as a solid force on the volleyball court.
Dindin won a couple of Philippine Super Liga crowns playing for the Foton Tornadoes and the Cherry Tiggo Pro 7 Crossovers. And in terms of individual talent, she also took Ws when she played in Thailand and Japan as an import. In 2021, Santiago-Manabat was named Philippine National Volleyball Federation (PNVF) Champions League 2nd Best Outside Spiker.
Today, she’s a cornerstone of the Akari Chargers in the PVL.
Cha Cruz-Behag (Volleyball)
The volleybelle known as Miss Everything birthed her son in 2019. It was a huge part of her four-year hiatus from the sport. Nonetheless, she came back this year and made an immediate impact in the PVL All-Filipino Conference.
In her return, the former De La Salle Lady Spiker helped the F2 Logistics Cargo Movers make their first-ever semifinals appearance in the league. Bank on the versatile outside hitter to achieve more with her team as she gets completely immersed back in the game.
Lara Posadas-Wong (Bowling)
The multiple-time Philippine bowling team member wasn’t able to play her sport from 2020 until October 2021 due to the pandemic and the birth of her first child. But against all odds, she qualified for the eight-member national contingent that was sent to the SEA Games in Hanoi last year.
Regaining her strength and the elite shape she had, the 32-year-old Posadas-Wong accomplished her mission. We look forward to the five-time SEA Games bronze medalist to don the flag’s colors in the years to come.
Gina Iniong (MMA)
With a winning record against tough opponents, a couple more victories would’ve made her a top contender for the One Championship atomweight crown.
But in 2020, the 30th SEA Games kickboxing gold medalist had to put her promising career on hold because she and her husband had a baby. It’s just one of the many sacrifices that a female athlete makes, which men are free of. Two years later, when the time was right, the six-time national wushu champion reentered the ring and bagged another gold medal in the regional meet by winning the 60-kg category for women’s low kick. Bringing glory to her country once again, Iniong silenced the naysayers in style.
Much like the trailblazing Filipinas who are making strides as professional athletes abroad, these ladies in Philippine sports are also inspiring countless women and men across the nation. Looking at them, one should realize that no task is too big for a person who’s determined enough to reach his or her own goal.