FROM surviving life’s early struggles to winning a silver medal in the world’s biggest stage.
Nesthy Petecio, who hails from Santa Cruz, Davao del Sur to a poor family, is basking in the glow of bagging a boxing silver in the Tokyo Games, duplicating Mansueto “Onyok” Velasco’s finish in the 1996 Atlanta Olympics.
“Kahit isang gabi pa lang sa Twitter grabe na followers, nagpapasalamat po ako sa mga sumusuporta especially noong nag-post po ako na humihingi ng pasensya sa lahat dahil silver lang, sinabihan po ako na hindi lang silver iyan, iyan ang itatak mo sa isipan mo,” Petecio said.
“Medyo nabuhayan po ako, ang sarap sa pakiramdam na ramdam ko ang suporta ng mga Pilipino hindi lang ng POC at PSC, buong sambayanang Pilipino. Grabe, sobrang blessed po ako sa ipinaparamdam niyo po sa akin ngayon,” she added.
The 5-foot-2 Petecio lost by unanimous decision to Sena Irie of Japan last Tuesday in the women’s featherweight boxing finals at the nearly empty Kokugikan Arena.
Her silver was the second for the country after Hidilyn Diaz’s gold in the women’s 55 kgs of weightlifting last July 26.
The silver medal finish guaranteed Petecio, 29, a total of P17 million from the government and private sponsors: P5 million under Republic Act 10699 or the incentives law, P5 million each from the MVP Sports Foundation and San Miguel plus another P2 million from Deputy House Speaker and businessman Mikee Romero.
She has also been promised a house and lot worth P2.5 million in Candelaria, Quezon by property developer Ovialand.
Petecio was understandably ecstatic after her campaign and slept with the silver medal beside her.
“Sobrang saya and blessed po. Itinabi ko po talaga siya (silver medal), sinadyang itabi sa akin para mas ma-feel ko po at mag-sink in sa akin na nag-silver medal po ako sa Olympics,” she said.
“Kaya itinabi ko, sinadya ko po na bawat galaw ko maramdaman ko, totoo na ito, ito na ito, kaya itinabi ko talaga, sinadya ko.”
She said she is looking to rest, for now, but will later train her sights in next year’s Southeast Asian Games and in the Paris Olympics in 2024.
