The jiu-jitsu star truly pulled off a miracle in Hangzhou, China.
Filipinos across the land celebrated like crazy after Gilas Pilipinas’ comeback win over China in the semifinals of the Asian Games. What Justin Brownlee did to lift the Philippines over the host nation was nothing short of miraculous.
Filipina grappler Meggie Ochoa’s gold medal win in jiu-jitsu should be seen in the same light. Perhaps her efforts should even be placed in a higher tier.
The obstacles that the 33-year-old martial artist faced on the road to the championship seemed insurmountable. It was just her warrior’s heart and unwavering faith that allowed her to pull through.
In a series of Instagram posts on Wednesday, Ochoa detailed how she overcame setback after setback as she competed for the flag in the -48 kg category.
“2023 has been a year of struggle and testing from the Lord. (At the) start of the year, the Lord allowed me to go through one of the most difficult seasons in my personal life,” Ochoa said.
She was referring to the knee injury she suffered in the Southeast Asian Games last May, which made her sit out the World Championships and the Asian Open. She also divulged the hardships she endured on her way to the gold medal.
“I've had one of the best training camps of my life for this year's Asian Games, and I felt that I had done everything possible until before leaving the Philippines, she wrote. “Then, the morning of October 3 came and I woke up with a splitting headache, a bad cough, a swollen right eye and a painful body."
That was just two days before the competition. She added that she couldn't sleep well and barely ate because of her lack of appetite. Even walking and swallowing became difficult for her. To compound matters, her match was moved at an even earlier time.
As dire as the situation was, the decorated jiu-jitsu practitioner knew exactly what she needed to keep on going.
“I knew that the only way for me to go through this was by totally depending on the Lord. There was no other way. I kept praying and praying,” shared the world champion.
Meggie also revealed that she injured herself during the semifinals, which prompted her to employ a risky tactic in the gold medal match. It was a gamble she had to take.
“In the last few seconds of my semifinals match, I pulled a muscle. The pain radiated down my left leg but I knew I had to keep my composure,” she said. “Though I knew my opponent (in the finals) was a good guard player, I had to play top because I could not play bottom because of my injury."
Against all odds, she was able to execute and had her hand raised by the end of the intense bout. Ochoa gave the country its second of four gold medals in this year's Asian Games. But for her, all credit belongs to someone else.
“When my hand was raised, I was overwhelmed with love, joy, and gratitude towards the Lord. This was all Him,” Ochoa wrote.
“He humbled me and all the more demonstrated His grace, power, and mercy by allowing the victory despite all of those struggles! There really is no one like Him,” she added.
(PM)