The
challenges of Mary Joy Tabal, marathon runner
by rick olivares pic from cebuheadline.com
There is this old print ad -- back in the early 1990s to
be exact -- about the goals and joy of running by Adidas where the copy reads:
“Just to the signpost. Just to the car. Just to the crossroads. Just to the
curb. Just to the truck. Just to the signpost…”
It says a lot about running being goal-oriented and
pushing one’s self’s limits where one says, “up to the signpost then I am
done.” When you get there, it’s “ah, maybe a little more – to the car on the
curb” and so on and forth until you’re well past what you thought was your goal
or threshold for pain.
The same can be said for marathon runner Mary Joy Tabal.
Her signpost, car, crossroads, the curb – well, they are all challenges in her
goal to win glory for the country.
It is ironic that some of the powers that be accuse her
as someone who is motivated by money. Perhaps, they do not know Mary Joy
Tabal’s story.
School, family, scholarship, Sea Games, and the Olympics
were Tabal’s version of that Adidas ad.
Let’s break that down by Imagine at the age of 12 when
one is supposed to be learning how to spread your wings, have fun, meet members
of the opposite sex when your life comes crashing down.
Her mother left the family when Joy was 12. There wasn’t
much time to wipe away the tears when she confronted the stark reality that
continuing her education was going to be a problem.
“When you’re young, you don’t really understand what
sports can do for you,” she says. “You just play for the love of it and not
because you see a future in it.”
She ran a 100-meter race and won. Right there and then,
coaches from all over Cebu tried to recruit her. In high school, the goal
shifted from earning a collegiate scholarship. When she earned that at
Southwestern University, her sights turned to running.
“I was in third year college when Coach Philip Duenas
asked me to switch from sprints to marathon running. I wondered, ‘Kaya ko ba
ito? I never thought that I could finish a marathon from being a sprinter that
is why I’ve struggled. I had to consider many things from a bulk-body sprinter
to being a lighter-weight long distance runner. The nutrition is different. The
discipline and time management is also different.”
Tabal’s career took a detour as well when she had to run
and earn for her siblings being the oldest child. It is through her running
that all her siblings graduated. Once that was accomplished, she fully
concentrated on her career. That’s when the wins, trophies, and opportunities
all piled up.
“That gave me a different sense of satisfaction knowing
that I’ve helped other people who can now do something with their lives,” she
says. “Running in marathons and races have given us a means of livelihood.
Maybe now, I can give glory to the country.”
And Joy Tabal became the first Filipino to qualify for
the Olympic marathon.
“The Rio Olympics was an eye-opener,” she confesses. “I
know you hear about first-time adjustment or jitters. It’s not an excuse but it
is true. But I will say I am disappointed with my performance and I know I can
do better. Much better if I can qualify again.”
Since Rio, she has been in limbo. She is said to be a
part of the Philippine delegation to the next Sea Games but she will not be a
part of the national team. For some unexplained reason, she has a strained
relationship with PATAFA, track and field’s local governing body. She cannot
begin to fathom why the relationship never got off the ground whether it was
training out of Cebu and not in Manila, whether it was sticking with her
long-time coach Philip Duenas, or whether it was running in other races (not
all of them offer cash prizes as some are for learning how one stacks against
international and regional competitors), there has always been something. And
it hasn’t been quite clear.
“I know this will all be resolved,” she hopes. “It is all
just miscommunication. Hopefully, we can all align ourselves.”
“This is just like a hurdle in a hurdles event,” she
compares making use of a track and field allegory. “We just need to hurdle
this.”
What is her goal? That next signpost (it could be the
crossroads that sounds more apt)?
It’s resolving the PATAFA issues.
Then “the car”?
It’s Tokyo 2020.
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