It took two years for Juliana to shift from volleyball to fencing.
From daughter of a fencing champion, Juliana Gomez now has a title in her own right—a UAAP champion.
The UP Fighting Maroon bested Cyrra Vergara of De La Salle University to win the gold medal in the women's individual epee event of fencing, a sport dominated by the University of the East.
"It was two years ago when I shifted from volleyball. I set my sights on big goals, including winning in the UAAP and winning a championship for my school," she told One Sports' The Game.
The COVID-19 pandemic had prompted her to shift from volleyball to fencing. In 2020, volleyball had become extremely limited since it was considered a contact sport. So her father convinced her to take up fencing once again.
"I told her once she's in Ormoc, bumalik ka na lang sa fencing. When she was young she was really a fencer," Richard Gomez told One Sports' Sports Page back in December 2020.
"I think you'll be a better fencer than a volleyball player."
And Juliana is aware of the opportunity she has. Her father is a Southeast Asian Games gold medalist. Plus, he was helping to train modern pentathlon athletes in Ormoc, where he is also serving as a congressman.
"I made it a point to get the right strength and conditioning, training twice a day, fencing with stronger fencers, working in sports science, try to have all bases covered," she said. "By the time the pandemic ended, I would be a much stronger athlete and far from a beginner."
And she didn't want to be known as a newbie.
"By the time I tried competing, I wouldn't be going in as someone trying to get experience. I was going in as a contender," Gomez said.
Asked if there was any pressure to compete given her history, Juliana said, "It was zero pressure, 100% inspiration. It makes me happy I was known as the daughter of a fencing champion. I'm happy that I'm making him proud in the sport he loves the most."
Gomez says she sees a future with the sport and has already set several goals in place—defending her UAAP title and representing the Philippines in the Southeast Asian Games and the Asian Games.
It's a dream her father shares, but she would have to fight her way for it. "My dream for her is to become a national athlete. It would really depend on how she would perform and how she would enter the rankings," he said.
Juliana also hopes there would be more support and more interest for fencing.
"Keep going, continue. Just get into it," she said. "I did when I was 19, I officially started when I was 20. You could either go as someone who wants to compete, as a hobbyist, it doesn't matter. It's a sport you fall in love with."
Watch the full interview here: