Poverty, the pandemic, and mental health battles are enough to wear anyone down. But these opponents are no match for Nesthy Petecio, the Philippines’ first-ever women’s boxing Olympic silver medallist.
Ending the 25-year Olympic boxing medal drought of the Philippines, she says with gratefulness in her heart, “This means so much to me as not only is it my dream, it is my father’s dream. It’s not for me, it’s for my family, my country and for all the people from the Philippines who have prayed for me. I love you, I love you.”
Growing up impoverished in Davao del Sur, the young Petecio would compete in inter-barangay boxing tournaments to acquire free meals for her family. Her first opponent was a man, who towered over her and taunted her, saying that boxing wasn’t for girls like her. But, to his surprise, the tables turned, and the small unfazed Petecio won the match. This victory grabbed the attention of the national team, marking the start of a long successful boxing career.
In her boxing debut as a member of the national team, Petecio bagged gold at the 2007 Philippine National games at the age of 15. As time passed, she claimed the titles of second place at the 2011 and 2013 Southeast Asian Games, third at the 2012 Asian Championships, second on the podium at the 2014 AIBA Women's World Championships, and champion at the 2015 Indonesia President’s Cup.
However, like every professional athlete, Petecio eventually hit a point in her life where she wanted to quit boxing and get a regular job. Her early exit from the qualifiers for the 2016 Rio Olympics and failure to make a podium finish in the 2017 Asian Championships greatly discouraged Petecio. Adding insult to injury, Petecio had a medal-less performance at the 2018 Asian Games while coping with a recent break-up. Petecio’s mental health deteriorated to the point that she stopped training and couldn’t even look at a pair of boxing gloves without feeling nauseous. This predicament forced Petecio to take her much-needed break from the sport to rest and recuperate.
Refreshed and recovered, the Filipina boxer excitedly put back on her boxing gloves and returned to the international ring. After winning the 2019 Thailand Open AIBA Women’s Boxing World Championship, she shared that "Winning the 2019 World Championships has helped me a lot. It has certainly added to my self-confidence."
The pandemic posed another challenge to the pride of Davao del Sur, halting her training for six months. “Had our training continued last year, it would have been a big help. Unfortunately, our training stopped for months. I went six months, I think, without [the ideal] training [needed],” said Petecio in Filipino on The Chasedown television program. Despite this, Petecio trained harder than ever before, vowing to make a comeback in the Tokyo Olympics.
The 29-year-old’s Olympic journey was off to a successful start with her unanimous win over Congolese boxer Marcelat Sakobi Matshu, after which she became the victor in a match with Chinese Taipei’s Lin Yu Ting on a 3-2 split decision. There was indeed no stopping Petecio as she won by another perfect 5-0 judgment against Columbian Pan Am’s bronze medallist Yeni Arias, and a 4-1 verdict in the semi-final with Testa left her one match from the gold medal. In the home stretch, Petecio went head to head with Japanese boxer IRIE Sena who sealed her own name in history, winning Japan’s first gold medal in women’s boxing.
Her Olympic silver medal glinting in the light, Petecio said in an interview with the Philippine Daily Inquirer, “Tuloy pa rin [ang Olympic journey]. Gaya nga ni champ Haydee, nag silver sya sa Rio tapos dito, sa gold.” Already setting her sights for gold in the Paris 2024 Olympics, the history-maker continues to make her country proud. Her persistence to keep on fighting though faced with challenges and limitations can be admired by people from all walks of life. From an amateur boxer fighting for meals to one of the most celebrated athletes in Philippine history, Petecio’s story will continue to inspire and give hope to the next generation of athletes.
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