CEBU, Philippines — Ang pagkahunong sa kalibotan sa paugnat sa kusog gilantaw ni Cebuana Olympic marathoner Mary Joy Tabal nga usa ka oportunidad aron hinuklogan ang ugma sa iyang karera ug ingon man sa iyang kinabuhi sa kinatibuk-an.
Armado og positibo nga panghuna-huna, si Tabal nagpanikad unta nga mamaayo ug mokayod og maayo aron kab-uton ang iyang mga tinguha human sa subo niyang kampanya sa 2019 diin siya nalangkatan sa iyang korona isip rayna sa marathon sa Southeast Asia ug igon man nanaog sa iyang trono human sa lima ka tuig nga pagdominar sa National Milo Marathon.
Ning tuiga, buot unta ni Tabal nga makarepresentar sa Pilipinas sa 2020 Tokyo Olympics.
Apan nahagba ang mga plano ni Tabal gumikan kay ang mga qualifying events nga iya untang salmotan gipangkanselar ug gisibog tungod sa kalibotanong hulga sa coronavirus.
"At first, as an athlete who had made plans ahead for this year, I was very desperate to be better this year, to work harder on the goals I set for myself," matud pa ni Tabal nga mihimo og kasaysayan isip labing unang Filipina marathoner sa Olympics niadtong 2016 Rio Games sa Brazil.
"But then this happen, not only affecting us athletes but the entire world," dugang pa niya.
Alang ni Tabal, ang mga panghitabo karon makapakigmata sa usa'g-usa nga ang tanan temporaryo ug lumalabay lamang.
"For some of us, this pandemic has opened our eyes to how quickly opportunities can be taken away. I was anxious, I was dealing with so many “what ifs”. I was scared, and I was worried," sumala pa ni Tabal.
"But then as days pass by, overthinking won’t be of help. Everyone is doing the best they can to stop, to protect, to provide, to help. During this uncertain and uncomfortable time, we have to choose wisely what we put our energy into because whatever we feed, will grow. And that is one thing this sport has helped me deal with our current situation."
Wala man tuod mopabor kaniya ang higayon ning puntoha, apan dili kini makapugong sa tinguha ni Tabal nga kab-uton ang iyang mga damgo nga makadala sa bandila sa nasud sa Olympics sa ikaduhang higayon.
"I have to change plans, my goals for this year can be changed but never my dream to run for the country and to run for another Olympics. This dream will be my foundation for the coming days, months and years."
Samtang anaa sa ilang balay gumikan sa enhanced community quarantine, si Tabal nag-ehersisyo sa kanunay sa iyang balay aron magpabilin ang maayo niyang pisikal nga kondisyon.
"It has been eight days that I have stayed home and have been doing indoor exercises. Sometimes that is all you can ask your body for. It might not be the longest or the hardest workout I can make everyday, but it helps my mental health and that's all that matters to me. Being safe and healthy is way better than being sorry," kanayon pa ni Tabal.
Taliwala ning kritikal nga sitwasyon nga giatubang sa kalibotan, si Tabal dunay tambag sa kauban niyang mga atleta.
"We all have to focus on the things we can only control and think or do more of what makes us happy. I know it's a rough situation right now, but for me as an athlete, I've got a lot of time to reflect, to recover, to sleep, and focus on self improvement, focus on the good and think of the things that you might be of help," batbat pa ni Tabal.
"As for me, I still find ways to interact with my fellow friends through doing FB Live and sharing them activities they can do at home to keep them active. We can still be positive. We can still work towards our goals, just in a different way, and be always flexible with your methods," panapos ni Tabal.