Tabal aims high in Rio

MANILA, Philippines - Mary Joy Tabal’s best time of 2:43.31 may be 20 minutes or about four kilometers shy of the bronze medal finish at the 2012 London Olympics but the 27-year-old Cebuana said yesterday she’s not fazed by the nearly impossible odds of a podium placement in marathon at the Rio Games next month.

Tabal is now training at the Nippon Sports Science University in Yokohama and will leave for Rio on Aug. 2. She will run the women’s marathon to start and finish at the 30,000-seat Sambadrome in Rio on Aug. 14.

“I’m not competing just to run because I qualified,” said Tabal in a conversation via Skype. “I’ve got nothing to lose. I wasn’t even expected to qualify. I know it’s next to impossible for me to get a medal. But I still want one. There’s nothing wrong in dreaming or aiming high. I’m pushing myself to train harder than ever, doing double effort. It’s a challenge. I don’t want to be the tailender. Right now, my goal is to finish in 2:40 or under. That’s my projected run. I’m positive I can do it.”

 Tabal said her Japanese coaches Akio Usami and Yosei Sato are convinced she’ll be back for the 2020 Tokyo Olympics. “Since I qualified for Rio, my coaches believe I will qualify for Tokyo,” she said. “They’re expecting me for the next Olympics since it will be in their home country. I have no plans of settling down. I gave myself three years to chase my Olympic dream. I waited for a sign from God. I tried to qualify out of the Boston Marathon and I became the first Filipina ever to finish in the top 20 but my time wasn’t good enough for Rio. I cried for days. Then, I signed up for the Scotiabank Ottawa marathon, another Olympic qualifier. When I tried to get in, registration was already closed but the organizers gave me a chance. I didn’t give up until I finally qualified. I’m grateful to Milo and Motor Ace for supporting me in pursuing my dream. My focus is on my career. Once I’m finished with running, there will be time for family and finding employment.”

Tabal said she can’t wait to land in Rio. “I’m excited to meet all the Filipino Olympians,” she said. “I met Eric (Cray) and Marestella (Torres) at the last Southeast Asian Games but I’ve never met the other Olympians. I was already in Japan when the delegation called on President Duterte. I really hope to meet the President someday. Maybe, after the Olympics, I could get the chance. I want to tell the President how proud I am to represent our country, speaking in our Visayan dialect, that Filipino athletes have a lot of talent and potential, that we can produce many more Olympians if they’re supported, that perhaps, the government could focus on addressing the needs of athletes and that we should stop politicking in sports.”

Tabal said her mission in Rio is to inspire the youth in realizing their dreams. “I started out in a simple barangay in Cebu but in a span of six to seven years, I made it to the Olympics,” she said. “I know our country can produce many more Olympians if only we are focused on that goal.”

Tabal was initially a sprinter then she shifted to long distances. Competing for Southwestern University, she tried her luck in the 3,000 and 5,000-meter events in 2009. A year later, Tabal made it to the regional eliminations of the Milo marathon and advanced to the national finals.

“In my first Milo marathon, my goal was just to run the entire distance,” she said. “I wasn’t even thinking of winning a medal. I was surprised that I took third place and it encouraged me to work harder for my next marathon.” Tabal has now participated in six Milo marathons, topping the last three. “It was Milo that opened the door for me in marathon,” she said. “Without Milo and Motor Ace, I wouldn’t have been able to qualify for the Olympics.”

While running became her consuming passion, Tabal never lost sight of her academic ambitions. She earned a bachelor’s degree in management accounting and a Master’s degree in public administration at Southwestern. Additionally, Tabal is taking up units for a diploma in special education.

The second oldest in a family of four, Tabal said her parents separated when she was 12. “I grew up hating my mother since my father raised all of us children,” she said. “I didn’t see my mother for 11 years then we reconnected through a common friend on Facebook. I found out my mother moved from Cebu to Manila. Every year, in December, since 2012, I send her a ticket to spend the Christmas holidays with the family in Cebu. At least once a year, I get to see her. Because of my running, I’ve been able to support my youngest sibling to finish college and I’m still supporting another sibling in school.”