Confident, fearless, and determined—this is how we normally see Nesthy as she proudly banners the Philippine flag in the international boxing arena.
But little did we know, the Tokyo Olympics silver medalist has been fighting silent battles.
As young as seven years old, Nesthy has already been throwing punches. But it was when she was 11 that she started joining boxing competitions.
“Nag-start po ako sa boxing, seven years old. Pero hindi talaga siya totally, kasi syempre bata pa,” Petecio shared with One Sports.
“Laro-laro lang ‘yong boxing sa akin. First na naglaro ako, 11 years old. Doon na talaga nag-start ‘yong journey sa pagiging isang boxer po.”
Even at a young age, Nesthy was already breaking stereotypes. She already gave a different meaning to the sexist phrase “punch like a girl” after she started winning against male opponents, which opened doors for national team opportunities.
“No’ng nanalo po ako no’n at lalaki ang kalaban ko, madaming nagbukas na pintuan, opportunities para sa akin,” Nesthy recalled.
[Related: Nesthy Petecio names toughest opponents in women's 57kg division come Paris 2024]
Every jab Nesthy throws is a tribute to the cornerstone of her strength, none other than her family, especially her youngest sibling.
“Always ‘yong pamilya ko. Mga kapatid ko. Most especially ‘yong bunso namin, may Down Syndrome siya. Hindi lang sa akin. Sa aming magkakapatid, madalas siya ‘yong lucky. Lucky charm namin siya,” Nesthy said.
“Start no’ng sinilang po siya, tuloy-tuloy ‘yong blessings sa buhay ko. Doon nag-start, pagkasilang niya talaga, nakalaro na ako sa abroad. Tuloy-tuloy na. Hanggang ngayon.”
But even as Nesthy has become a decorated international boxer, the silent struggles persist.
During the 2018 Asian Games in Indonesia, Nesthy suffered a controversial 2-3 loss against China’s Yin Jun Hua in the opening round of the women’s featherweight division.
It led to her being so depressed that even the sight of gloves weighed heavily on her heart.
“2018 po ‘yon. Sa Asian Games ko po talaga naranasan kasi laro ‘yon siya. Sobrang binuhos ko lahat. Or baka siguro nagkamali lang akong sabihin na binuhos ko lahat. Basta ginawa ko lahat noon para makakuha ng medalya, kasi para sa pamilya ko talaga ‘yon,” Nesthy recalled.
“Panalong-panalo ako sa laro, biglang natalo sa desisyon. Grabe ‘yong iyak ko. Doon talaga ako na-depress ng sobra. Ayokong makakita ng gloves, makakita ng boxing ring. Kung ano ‘yong related sa boxing. Ayokong mag-training.”
[Related: Carlo Paalam, Nesthy Petecio to serve as Philippine flag bearers in Paris 2024]
Even her journey to her second Olympics was paved with sweat, tears, and relentless determination. The pride of Davao del Sur suffered a scratch on her left eye, which caused her lingering pain as she tried to fight her way to make it to Paris.
“Kung babalikan ko ‘yong first Olympic World Qualifying [Tournament], nakalimang laro ako doon. So hindi siya basta-basta talaga. So kailangan talaga, mentally and physically prepared po. Sa awa ng Diyos, nakuha ko naman po siya,” Nesthy said.
“Pero siyempre, ang hirap kasi sa sitwasyon na ‘yon, may scratch ‘yong mata ko. Kung nakita niyo, mamula-mula ‘yong mata ko. Gano’n ‘yong naramdaman ko bago ko nakuha ‘yong ticket papuntang Paris po. Hindi siya ganun kadali, like ‘yong iniisip ng ibang tao na kesyo [Tokyo] silver medalist na ‘yan, madali na ‘yan, hindi po ganun kadali.”.
Despite the rocky road, Petecio’s resilience shone through. Nesthy once powered over adversity, emerging stronger than ever as she resumes her quest for gold at the Olympic Games Paris 2024.
[Related: LOOK | Nesthy Petecio, Carlo Paalam show off Team Philippines barong for Paris 2024]
But before she returns to the world’s grandest sporting stage, Nesthy reflected on her childhood as she looked at her throwback photo that she posted on Instagram in 2021.
“Eto ‘yong dala-dala ko, alam ko rubber ‘to, eh. ‘Yong nilalaro. Lastiko ‘to sa Bisaya. Binebenta ko ‘to kapag marami na ‘to. ‘Tig do-dos. Kapag marami na akong naiipon, binibili ko ng tinapay or binibigay ko kay mama,” she narrated.
The throwback rings strong for Petecio, as the resilient Nesthy of today will not exist without the determined Nesthy of before, the one that started play boxing when she was seven and persisted to be an Olympic silver medalist.
“Sa batang Nesthy, kamusta ka? Gusto kitang pasalamatan kasi never kang sumuko sa challenges na kinaharap mo sa buhay. Hanggang sa marating mo kung nasaan ka ngayon at marating mo ang pangarap mo,” she emotionally said.
“Tignan mo, nakikita mo ako ngayon. Sa kung anong narating natin dahil patuloy tayong lumalaban sa buhay. Thank you, and proud ako sa’yo.”
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Story Summary:
- Nesthy Petecio, silver medalist in the Tokyo Olympics, began her boxing journey at age 11, breaking stereotypes by defeating male opponents and earning a spot on the national team.
- Despite her achievements, Nesthy faced personal struggles, including a heartbreaking loss at the 2018 Asian Games that left her depressed and reluctant to train.
- With unwavering determination, Nesthy overcame setbacks, including a challenging path to qualify for the Olympic Games Paris 2024, showcasing her resilience and dedication to reaching new heights in her career.
[Editor's note: This article was written by a member of the One Sports Digital team. The summary was generated by AI, and then checked by the staff to ensure accuracy.]