Now that the Olympics has ended let’s take a quick look at some of the most memorable sports personalities who found their way in Philippine television and movies. These personalities lived a period when competitive sports were their primary motivation and drive towards success. Some of them were discovered due to their outstanding performance in their respective sports.
For this week’s #TIL, we give a list of some of the personalities you may or may not know were once fierce athletes. Before the glitz, glamor, and prestige to be called a star, they first spent countless hours in the gym and court, sweating and punching through adversities to perfect their skills and craft.
After the Richard Gomez’s and Mikee Cojuangco’s of the 90s, a lot more surfaced less than a decade later. These are just some of the notable names who started as athletes:
#TIL: Angel Locsin
NCR Swimming Champion
A proud Thomasian swimming varsity, Angel competed as a UST High School Swimming Team member in 1998. She also held a record in the National Capital Region in breaststroke. After representing the country in a competition in Hong Kong, her run as a swimmer was halted when local tv producers discovered her – the rest is history. Angel Locsin has found a new way to make us all proud by becoming one of the most iconic TV personalities in the country and a staunch advocate for human rights.
#TIL: Charlene Gonzales
Basketball
No one answers the question about the number of islands in the Philippines other than the 1994 Binibining Pilipinas-Universe, Charlene Gonzales-Muhlach. But before becoming an actress and a beauty queen, she was once a highly competitive member of the UST women’s basketball team – leading her college’s team to a championship bout against another college. From an interview with Ang Haraya, Charlene quoted, “This is all about sacrifice. Nothing is impossible. If you really want something, just pour your heart and mind into it.” A message that could genuinely inspire anyone who dares break boundaries and do whatever they want in life.
#TIL: Enchong Dee
Three-time UAAP MVP
Before joining the showbusiness, Enchong was one of the most memorable names in the UAAP. He led the DLSU Men’s swimming team to end their six-year championship drought in the men’s division in 2009. He has recorded a total of seven gold medals for DLSU. In 2019, he set a Guinness world record for conducting an introductory swimming lesson for 1,800 children in one day.
#TIL: Gretchen Ho
Volleyball Player
During the Fab Five era of the Ateneo de Manila University’s women’s volleyball team, Gretchen Ho became an instant celebrity even before she started her hosting career and is now our Tokyo 2020 Olympics correspondent. There was even a rumor back in the height of their competition against their arch-rival De La Salle University women’s volleyball team. Rumor has it that they’d hire doubles for the members of the Ateneo volleyball team to get to the FilOil-Flying V Arena to avoid the crowd of fans and supporters who would like to see them in person.
#TIL: Xian Lim
Basketball Player
A decade ago, Xian Lim played as a basketball player for the University of the East Red Warriors. His school then holds the most consecutive titles in the UAAP men’s basketball with seven straight championships, besting Ateneo’s five and DLSU and UST’s four in the sports’ history. He said in an interview that it was one of his reasons for leaving the United States. In 2018, he relived his basketball career when he became a part of the Maharlika Pilipinas Basketball League.
#TIL: Chris Tiu
Basketball Player
Another basketball player that became a household name is Chris Tiu. Like in volleyball, he became famous during their title contention series with their arch-rivals, the De La Salle University Men’s Basketball team. The series led to his team breaking their six-year championship drought against JV Casio and Rico Maierhofer. In 2019, the ex-Gilas became the SEAG Volunteers Program Deputy Director.
Do you know other TV personalities who were once athletes? Let us know in the comments section!
