Love is definitely in the air this Valentine’s Day.
For athlete couples, Valentine's Day isn't just about candlelit dinners and chocolates. It's about celebrating a love that thrives on shared passion, dedication, and pushing boundaries.
One Sports got a chance to talk to some players and their partners in exclusive interviews about their relationships.
(Note: These conversations have been edited for length and clarity.)
By Kiko Demigillo & Inna Mina
Aby Maraño and Kamille Cal
Question: What is love?
Aby Maraño: Love is a two-way feeling. Kailangan nagmi-meet 'yung dalawa hindi 'yung isa lang ang gumagawa ng effort, dapat meet halfway parati. Also, bago ka magmahal ng ibang tao dapat buo ka na sa pagmamahal mo sa sarili mo para kung meron kang ibibigay na pag-ibig sobra sobra, hindi ka magkukulang.
Kamille Cal: Love is hard. Char! Pero yeah, it is hard.
It is not just about the kilig factor, kilig feeling because love is a choice. Like volleyball, 'di ba? Kahit sobrang pagod ko na, kahit sobrang hindi ko na kaya my god, lord! Pero, I love it so every day I go to training not because kailangan kong sumweldo eh, hindi ganoon.
For me, well I think it goes with every athlete naman na nandito, na babangon ako sa umaga, babangon ako pupunta akong ensayo not because su-sweldo ako, but because I want to improve. Gusto kong mag-improve sa larangan na minamahal ko which is volleyball.
Question: Who makes you happy right now?
Aby: Syempre Camille Cal. Huy!
Lagi pa rin akong kinikilig sa kanya kasi every single day, pinaparamdam niya sa akin 'yung worth ko and at the same time, 'yung panliligaw hindi talaga nawawala. Consistent in fairness.
Question: How do you support each other?
Aby: Syempre pag-uwi sa bahay, alam mo pagod. May mga instances na alam ko sa sarili kong mas marami pa akong energy kumpara sa kanya so tinutulungan ko na lang siya sa ibang mga bagay. Kunwari, pagdating sa business ako na sasalo, 'yung gagawin niya ako muna sasalo.
'Pag ako naman ang sobrang loaded sa work, siya 'yung sasalo sa'kin. Intindihan talaga kasi minsan nag-sasabog kami kasi parehas pagod eh pero at the end of the day, kahit na naiinis kami sa isa't isa konting touch lang ng kamay hahablutin na talaga tapos mag-holding hands kami kahit bad trip kami sa isa't isa. Sa ganoong way nare-realize ko kahit papaano gumagaan ang loob ko, nawawala 'yung tampo.
Kamille: Si Aby kasi ayaw niya 'yung pag-uusapan 'yung volleyball pagdating sa bahay, gusto niya relax na lang. Pero ako iba, I really talk about volleyball.
Minsan sasabihin niya kung ano ang nakita niya kapag nanonood siya ng game and my way of supporting her is watching her games gusto niya 'yun so I watch her games.
Question: Are there advantages to both being athletes?
Aby: Yes, correct. Mas nakakapag-suportahan kami. Na-encourage namin ang bawat isa. Although magkalaban kami, tinutulungan pa rin namin ang isa't isa para mag-improve.
Ako never akong nagdamot sa kanya kung ano 'yung knowledge ko sa volleyball, kung paano ko siya iku-comfort at the end of the day kung pagod siya at nahirapan siya sa ensayo niya or ng game niya and siya rin sa akin, kung ano 'yung mga point of view ng katulad niya para sa akin, kahit beterana ako, tumatanggap ako at nakikinig ako sa kanya kapag may sinasabi siya.
Kamille: Mahirap kasi kung hindi ano eh, mahirap 'yung hindi atleta 'yung partner mo kasi syempre may mga bagay talaga na hindi nila maiintindihan. Lalo na 'yung tight schedule, very strict schedule, disiplina sa pagkain, disiplina sa galaw, disiplina sa paglabas-labas.
It's not easy to be an athlete and we can't do the normal things people normally do, we really have to be extra and lahat ng ginagawa namin we do it with effort na magawa namin siya para magkaroon ng advantage sa sarili namin as an athlete
Question: What is the perfect Valentine's date?
Aby: Wala, simple lang ako eh. Actually, second anniversary namin nandoon lang kami sa garahe, nag-setup lang kami ng kakainin, ako nagluto, ganoon lang. Hindi na ako masyado 'yung, wala na ako sa phase na gusto ko magarbo. Simpleng dinner date na puno ng pagmamahal at pag-iintindi sa bawat isa
Kamille: Bilang mga atleta pagod na rin po talaga kami, wala na kaming energy lumabas. Last night we were supposed to be at an event. Sabi ni Aby, ipahinga na lang natin, and ako rin hindi ko na kaya. Tara tulog na lang tayo or pa-massage na lang tayo sa bahay.
Valentine's [Day] siguro ganoon lang din, maging mas intimate kami sa isa't isa, spend time with each other, doesn't really have to very, very grand somewhere, spend a lot of money since we are both investing on some stuff, magluto na lang siya, ipapakita ko kung gaano kasarap siya magluto.
Question: How do you usually react to Tyang’s swag?
Kamille: Hindi na 'yun [pinag-uusapan], you don't take things personally, it's a game. Well, kapag napuntusan ko rin naman siya, kunwari na-swag niya ako, the next game 'pag nagtapat tayo at ako nakapuntos sa'yo humanda ka na lang sa pilantik kong ganoon, 'di ba?
Jasmine Nabor and Shaya Adorador
Question: What is love?
Shaya Adorador: Jas. Corny. Seryoso na, love for me is a lot of understanding. Both sides ito kasi marami naman talagang difference 'yung bawat isa sa relationship so ayun marami talagang pag-iintindi sa isa't isa.
Question: Are there advantages to both being athletes?
Shaya: Siguro 'yung schedule hindi na namin kailangan alamin kasi teammates kami pero may times din po kasi na kapag after ng trabaho namin, after ng training namin, may times na ayaw na namin pag-usapan muna eh. Kailangan timeout muna kami sa work namin kasi masyado nang loaded and kailangan naming mag-refresh naman, ibang bagay naman 'yung iintindihin namin, 'yung sarili naman naming ginagawa outside the court.
Question: What are some things you enjoy doing together?
Jasmine Nabor: Pagha-hunt ng coffee kasi isa 'yun sa kumbaga kapag rest talaga 'yun 'yung hinahanap namin, 'yung tatambay magre-reflect, magmu-muni muni, walang about sa volleyball 'yung pag-uusapan at saka 'yung laruin 'yung mga pamangkin namin and makasama 'yung family syempre.
Ivy Lacsina and Deanna Wong
Question: What is love?
Ivy Lacsina: Love is about compromises kasi siyempre hindi kayo magwo-work 'pag wala 'yun.
Ivy: Meron siyang advantage at saka disadvantage. Kasi syempre 'pag parehas kaming pagod sinong maga-asikaso ng mga babies namin pero hindi kasi mahirap maging partner si Deanna kasi talagang hands on siya.
Kahit pagod na pagod 'yan, kapag nakita niya ako na hindi ko na kaya, siya talaga 'yung nagwo-work. Same din naman ako sa kanya kapag pagod din siya tulungan lang kami. 'Yung advantage noon is mas nagkakaintindihan kami.
Question: How do you and Deanna support each other?
Ivy: Siguro magkalaban lang naman kami sa loob ng court, pagdating sa labas naman syempre i-advise ko siya, advise niya ako. Tulungan pa rin kasi kami lang eh, kami lang dalawa 'yung magkakampi talaga dito.
Question: How do you handle what the public says about you two?
Ivy: Siguro nasa usapan na lang namin dalawa kung paano namin siya i-handle pero syempre fini-filterout na lang namin kung ano ang makakatulong sa amin and 'yung mga hindi makakatulong sa amin.
Parang if hindi siya healthy for us alisin na lang namin, 'yung makakatulong sa amin 'yun talaga 'yung ine-embrace namin dalawa.
Michelle Cobb and Vito Sotto
Question: What is love?
Michelle Cobb: Love is unconditional, if you really love someone, you'd go out of your way to show it and I guess wala siyang limit if you really love someone and show the world.
Question: Are there advantages to both being athletes?
Michelle: Oo, definitely same din naman sa every industry. Kung nasa showbiz ka, nasa medical field ka, kung 'yung partner mo the same field siyempre may ibang level of understanding. I'd say pro 'yun as an athlete and as someone who has a partner that's an athlete sobrang bonus.
Vito Sotto: For sure, kasi syempre kunyari kung pagod siya after training, kung hindi ka athlete kasi hindi mo talaga maiintindihan 'yung pagod na 'yun eh.
Kung may issue sa team na parang when it comes to the chemistry or things related to the game, siyempre you need to, for any problem naman no matter if it's sports or any problem in general, you can't really talk about your problems with someone who hasn't experience it. ‘
Siyempre if they haven't experienced it, they don't understand it the way you do.
Question: How do you support each other?
Vito: Basically, being supportive being there for each other when they need your quality time or kunyari kung pagod alam mo naman 'yung paboritong pagkain or 'yung milk tea. It's in the little things lang of being there for someone.
Question: Do you comment on each other’s game?
Vito: Syempre ako hindi kasi ibang sports 'yun and ayaw ko naman magmarunong. The only time I speak is kapag tinanong ako kasi siyempre at the end of the day siya ‘yung pro on that thing. Ayaw ko naman makialam unless tanungin ako kasi syempre it's a way of respect din to the person.
Taka Minowa and Jaja Santiago
[Related: Taka Minowa hopes wife Jaja Santiago can achieve this marvelous feat in Japan]
Question: What is love?
Coach Taka Minowa: Keep on supporting each other. I can believe that person [is] Jaja Santiago, the only one in the world. That's my love.
Question: How do you handle LDR?
Coach Taka: Actually it's kind of hard. One time I went back to Japan but [I] just went to Kansai Airport, then to Osaka for one night stay and then after lunch I need to go back to the airport again. But it's nice because I can see my wife.
Question: Any advantages to you both being athletes?
Coach Taka: Actually we keep on helping each other, I know [the] Japanese system so sometimes she asks me what is my analysis on this team. Also, I ask what kind of personality [a] player has especially when we get some new players, I need to ask her first.
(With reports from Mei-Lin Lozada)