Kimberly Custodio is far from being satisfied as she added another notch to her belt with a SEA Games gold medal in jiu-jitsu.
BANGKOK — There’s no satisfying Philippine jiu-jitsu athlete Kimberly Custodio as she aims for more after clinching her first-ever SEA Games gold medal with her masterclass in the women’s 48kg ne-waza event at the SEA Games 2025 in the Navaminda Kasatriyadhiraj Royal Thai Air Force Academy on Thursday.
Already a three-time world champion, Custodio had never competed in a SEA Games prior to this one because of her weight class, which was ordinarily missing in the biennial meet.
But when she was presented a chance to compete for the jiu-jitsu team in Bangkok, the 38-year-old did not hesitate to pick up the call and suited up for the Philippines, alongside other big names in jiu-jitsu like Annie Ramirez, Kaila Napolis, and Myron Mangubat.
[READ: SEA Games: Kim Custodio, Dean Roxas’ gold medals lead huge haul for Philippine jiu-jitsu]
But even as she nabbed her first gold in just as many tries in the SEA Games, Custodio believes there is still more to accomplish for her.
“Marami pa, marami pang mission.” she told POC media of what’s next.
“May Asian Games pa, may AIMAG pa, pero sobrang nakakatuwa kasi first time kong mag-move up ng weight division. Sobrang [masaya dahil] sabi ko, hindi ako nag-expect manalo… Pero sa awa ng Diyos, sa work hard din siguro namin ng mga teammates ko, tsaka ng coaches ko, nagbunga na din.”
Custodio blitzed the competition in four straight victories to take home the gold medal.
She capped it off with a win via points, 3-0, against home bet Sugun Nutchaya of Thailand in the final. After an intense grappling match, Custodio was able to gain control on top with about 20 seconds left, giving her the crucial points to claim the victory.
Reaping the benefits
Having been rewarded by a gold medal, Custodio believes that it was a sign that all her hard work is now paying off. Starting jiu-jitsu at the late age of 27, she had left her job in order to train full time as a jiu-jitsu athlete.
Now with three World Championships and a SEA Games gold medal at that, she couldn’t have done it without her own hard work and the contribution of those around her.
“Hindi lang actually yung tagumpay ko, it's not just about me, kundi pati sa kanila din kasi sila din talaga yung malaging malaking factor.” Custodio said, speaking of her students.
“Sobrang gumaling din ako, kasi sobrang galing din nilang training partner, alam mo yun. Kaya yung mga girls ko, kahit ginagawa ko silang ragdoll everyday, pumapayag sila, ang gaganda nila. Okay lang na magkagalas yung buka nila para mag-train ako, para makamit ko yung World Championship, tsaka yung ngayon, yung [gold sa] SEA Games.” she added.
With a day of competition left, jiu-jitsu has hauled a total of 10 medals — highlighted by Custodio and Dean Roxas’ golds. The team also has one silver and seven bronzes.
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Luisa Morales is a sports writer with a special interest in promoting women’s sports.
Her coverage highlights include the UAAP, PVL, Southeast Asian Games, and the FIBA World Cup. She also follows Alex Eala, the Philippine women’s national football team, and mixed martial arts.