Our nation’s applause and gratitude!

To all our Filipino athletes who participated in the Paris 2024 Olympics, our heartfelt thank you and salute to you all!

For accepting and agreeing to represent our country in your respective sports, maraming, daghang salamat!

Not all of you were medalists, but in the eyes and hearts of all Filipinos, you are all winners and heroes/heroines!!! Mabuhay kayong lahat!!!

Qualifying in the Olympics alone was no easy feat. Already, you brought the Philippines to the 2024 Olympics in Paris!

Congratulations and do please feel proud to be our country’s sports representatives!

Your dream has brought you to the Olympics. Thank you for bringing us all and our country with you in the Paris Olympics!

Your dream of bagging a medal, most of all, GOLD, for you and your country may have or not have come true.

For those who did not, no need at all to apologize please.

EJ Obiena, you have always made us proud with your achievements. You have done our country proud by being 4thamong the world’s pole vaulters!

No apologies please.

Our turn to apologize for a country controlled by selfish and greedy officials who prioritize their own agenda, more than the needs of our poor and our athletes like you.

May our voters realize they need to vote for servant leaders who will take care of our people, especially our needy, and our aspiring/victorious athletes like you, and more.

We echo these supportive words of PH boxer Eumir Marcial to EJ Obiena hours after his 4thplace finish.

Marcial’s post:

“Nararamdaman kita bro! may mga bagay talaga dito sa mundo na hindi natin kontrolado.

Dalawang linggo bago Olympics parehas nagka injury tayo dahilan para hindi tayo makaensayo ng maayos.

Pero hindi yun naging hadlang para lumaban tayo dito sa Olympics.

Ngayon umiiyak tayo dahil hindi natin naiuwi ang tagumpay gusto natin pagbalik ng Pilipinas.

Masakit dahil mahal natin yung ginagawa natin at importante ito para sa atin.

Malungkot tayo ngayon pero darating ang panahon sa atin naman ang tagumpay.”

Yes, our dear athletes, continue with your dream and love for your sports. May your day at the medal’s podium come true for you as well!

Remember, many victorious athletes had their share of failures and losses before their triumphal victory!

Our continuing prayers and support for your dream of winning to come true someday soon!

Medals or none, to us, to your people and country, already, you are all winners!!! Thank you, thank you, maraming, maraming salamat!!!

May our country take best care of you, nurture and support you till you reach your highest dreams!

A FB post shared this valuable reminder for all, that people should not only see the winners receiving their bronze, silver, and gold medals.

“People do not see, that at the heart of these golden celebrations, we should also look back to the very foundations leading to these victories. Let’s be cognizant of the tortuous, difficult paths that people go through often obliviously silent and humbling. Let these events remind us that our lives are constant struggles towards higher goals.”

Before their triumph and medals, the winners started with their dreams, then proceeded to go through their desire, passion and focus.

Then, let us all be reminded that behind all their medals/competitions, all athletes have to hurdle these 50 or more challenges: “exerting mucheffort,training, hard work, blood, sweat and tears, doubt, pain, injury, early mornings and late nights, improvement, patience, tests, goals, elation, listening, sacrifice, feedback, courage, planning, vision, spirit, joy, fear, innovation, discipline, perseverance, sadness, tactics, work, grit, time, bravery, loneliness, rejection, learning, guts, support, rest, motivation, strategy, diet, hope, sleep, commitment, pain, drive, loss, failure, honesty, team,” plus rejection, criticism, hunger, anxiety, mental health, self-acceptance, coach, family, loved ones, and more.