CEBU CITY, Philippines— Happiness is simply defined as a feeling of contentment and immense joy and fulfillment.
Happiness comes in waves, in different shapes and sizes and for others, happiness comes after being able to endure long hours of preparation.
There are a lot of factors before one can feel that they are truly happy.
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In this article, let’s get to know what can make athletes happy, aside, of course, from winning.
CDN Digital asked some of the most talked about Cebuano athletes about what makes them happy as an athlete and as a person.
Mary Joy Tabal
Mary Joy Tabal with daughter, Athena. CDN Digital photo | Brian J. Ochoa
Being the first Filipina marathoner to qualify for the Olympics back in 2016, you’d think that this would be the peak of her happiness as an athlete.
But this Cebuana running queen found a deeper meaning to the word happiness as an athlete, and now as a mother to her daughter, Athena.
“My happiness is found in balancing my roles as an athlete and a mother. I strive to maintain physical fitness not only for myself but also as a source of strength and inspiration for my daughter, my family, and those around me,” she said.
With how she is juggling parenthood and being an athlete, Mary Joy finds the strength to never stop training because of how she sees running— her first love, her passion.
“Running, my greatest passion, embodies this balance, allowing me to pursue what I love while nurturing the connections that matter most in my life,” she said.
Cody Renejane
Cody Renejane | Facebook
One of Cebu’s promising runners, this 16-year-old is making it known that there is happiness in everything you do when you put your heart to it.
As an athlete, Cody feels happiness when he gets to travel, be with new people, and experience new things through his sport.
“What makes me happy as an athlete is the many things I get to experience. The trips, the adrenaline rushes, the highs and the lows, and of course, meeting many people that changed my life significantly,” he said.
As an athlete, Cody acknowledges the times he feels like he is not doing the best he could, as he would say “hitting rock bottom.”
“It is all part of the journey as you can only experience true happiness when you have been to the lowest of lows. So in short, the overall journey of being an athlete makes me happy,” he added.
As a teenager, it makes him happy to discover so much about himself that would somehow help him feel a little less pressured into being good at his sport.
“Being able to do other activities aside from my sport allows me to experience the feeling of getting better at something as well as keep me from burning out from my main sport,” said Cody.
Joanneesse Castillo Perez
Joanneesse Castillo Perez | Sugbuanong Kodaker
This timid Cebuana volleybelle sees playing the sport she loves as a tool for her to navigate through life.
“As an athlete, it’s the experience that comes with my passion for the sport that makes me the happiest. There is definitely nothing else more enjoyable than learning about life through a sport that you cherish,” she said.
The happiness she gets from playing the sport and the experiences that come along with it brings light to her life.
Although she finds joy in doing what she loves, as a daughter and sister, she finds happiness as well when she gets to spend some time with her family, knowing how busy her schedules can get with training and school.
MacMac Tallo
Cebuano Macmac Tallo in action in the MPBL. | MPBL photo
Mac Tallo is one of the best Cebuano basketball players of his generation.
Fondly called “Spida Mac,” this 30-year-old basketball star is living the dream as he gets to do what makes him happy— playing basketball.
Tallo, 30, started playing basketball at a very young age. His rise to fame did not come easily but with perseverance, patience, and his love for the game, he is now spreading inspiration to budding basketball players across the country.
What makes him happy? Simple.
“Being able to play the sports that I love. And mao pa gyud akong trabaho,” he said in an interview with CDN Digital.”
Happiness is subjective. And that is somehow the beauty of it, you get to choose what makes you happy even when others do not understand it.
Be happy with what you do and always do it with kindness.
To be happy in this modern world can sometimes get challenging, but make the small things count like seeing your mom smile, allowing your dog to run to you after a long day at work, make an effort to feel happy every single day.
Today, as we celebrated International Happiness Day, do whatever makes you happy!