MANILA, Philippines - When one meets Sofia Isabella Roman and Maria Beatrice Daez, members of the Philippine women’s basketball team Perlas Pilipinas, one sees simple college ladies who love to laugh and take countless selfies. But once they put on their basketball jerseys emblazoned with the word “Pilipinas,” they transform into the athletes who proudly represent the country.
“Since high school, I’ve been in touch with the previous national team coach Haydee Ong through e-mail. I have always been interested in playing for the Philippines, but I didn’t know how soon. So in June 2014, when I had the chance to go back home to tryout, I did. I spent 10 days here purely for basketball. After that, I was informed I made the team,” shares Sofia, 21, who is on her senior year at Dartmouth College in New Hampshire taking up Bachelor of Arts in Government.
“For me, since I grew up with six brothers, I guess the passion for the game came naturally. I was part of the RP youth team so the next best thing was to be part of the national team. My former RP youth team coach asked me to try out. I was hesitant at first because I was still studying and playing for UP, but with a go signal from my coach, I tried out. Everything else started out from there,” says Bea, 22, who is taking up Business Administration and Accountancy at the University of the Philippines Diliman. She is currently the team captain of UP Women’s Basketball team.
Sofia and Bea are fairly new members of the national team but for them, discipline and focus are important to perform their best. Bea, a student athlete, shares that her main focus is time management. “I start my day really at 4:30 a.m. for our 6-a.m. practice. After practice, I usually go home to eat and study before my class starts in the afternoon,” explains Bea who started with the national team last February.
Sofia, who started training with Perlas Pilipinas in December 2014, gives importance in discipline and work/life balance. “Some people tend to undermine the importance of mental health. Once in a while, after a hard week of training, I will get a body massage to release the tension and stress. Every other night, I meditate before going to bed. I also talk to myself whenever I feel like I need to, especially on the court. If I find myself losing focus, I tell myself ‘be present’,” says Sofia, who will compete with the Philippine women’s basketball team at the FIBA Asia women’s basketball championship on Aug. 29 in Wuhan, China.
With the demands of their active lifestyle as athletes, Sofia and Bea, who see beauty in confidence, kindness and optimism, make sure they maintain good hygiene to stay fresh all throughout the day’s activities. Blackwater Women’s line of scents is one of their favorites to keep themselves fresh. For Bea, it’s the Blackwater Women body spray. And for Sofia, it’s Blackwater Women deo spray in Inspire scent.
Through passion and determination, these precious gems are now carrying their greatest achievement as athletes — proudly representing the Philippines through the game they love.
Photography by CLAUDINE CERVANTES CALLANTA
• Styling by EDRELYN SANTOS