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| Photo by Anete Lusina on Pexels |
It has been a week since I was able to go outside and jog. Usually, I would be able to do it as part of my exercise routine but it was raining at noon these past few days. Due to this, I've been doing home workouts instead.
Today was the day I've been waiting all week. The sky was clear and after waiting a few more moments to see if there will be a chance of rain, I soon determined that there won't be any. So I went outside to jog.
The cold breeze of December has not settled but it was apparent that it was disappearing. I remember jogging last month without drenching in sweat because of the cold weather but today was different. The cold breeze has lessened and all there is to feel is the humidity caused by the rain which is neither cold nor warm. The parking area where I jog was wet due to rain, but this was no problem. I will still be able to do my jogging laps.
I arrived noticing the glance of a fellow jogger. A curious glance that looked liked as if he knew me. I also felt, for a moment, that he seemed familiar. Maybe someone from my school or a former acquaintance. But no, I don't know him. I did my stretching and it seemed like he wanted to talk me.
I was jogging for a few laps now when I started a conversation, as he also jog, asking how many laps he usually do in the parking space. He replied that it was his first time jogging there, and that he didn't really take count of his laps and instead measures his jogging progress by his time spent doing it. I told him that I do 20 laps as a minimum for my rounds, and that I used to jog in a much bigger space in a cemetery nearby. I introduced myself soon after and he did the same. His name is Gigi and he's 21 years old.
I went over my goal of 20 laps because of our conversation (we talked while running.) As soon as I finished mine, I took a break and saw him doing shadow punches after finishing his own laps. I immediately asked him if he's a boxer. He said he is.
It was my first time to talk to a person dedicated to boxing. I had athlete friends during my high school and university years but there were no opportunities for students to practice boxing in both.
I could tell that Gigi is a dedicated boxer. He was probably standing 5'3 and I could see that he's light on his feet. His stance and punches has form, indicating that he spent years on the sport. We talked more about boxing. I asked him how he's training and where. He lives nearby, and I am familiar with the gym he's training at. We talked about the boxing scene that he's in and he shared that he has history of fighting in amateur bouts. We shared opinions about exercise, health, and training. During our conversation, he emphasized that there's a difference between the punch of someone who does boxing and an average person, even if this person is muscular or largely built. I agreed with his opinion. I knew that he meant to share the difference between an amateur and a practicing boxer.
Boxing to him is more than just ramming your fist into an opponent or just brawling with someone. He treats it not only as a sport, but also an artform. Having this attitude ensures that Gigi goes beyond the mundanity of his trainings and makes him committed, guided with his personal reason for pursuing boxing.
We both agreed that, sports, unlike traditional career paths, doesn't promise immediate payoffs or financial returns. It requires grit, it requires persistence, it requires dedication especially when one loses motivation. I gave my sentiments to him by sharing that sports to me is like a training for our mental fortitude. It helps us grow physically but more importantly, it makes us fit to face the challenges of everyday life.
He also shared that boxing is not that popular among people his age. Most of his friends are either playing basketball or working on a traditional career. Given this, I asked him how he's coping with all the social pressures and challenges brought by his sport.
Firstly, I asked him how he deals with inevitable instances of negativity, peer pressure, and self-doubt. His answer was eye opening for me. He said that what matters is that he will do what he loves and he will do what he needs to do to continue even if such moments come. He will continue to do boxing because it is his passion and he can't change what other people say about him. He can only focus on his life and what he needs to do.
This is a mature statement from Gigi. Looking back when I was his age, only 3 years ago, I didn't have the same clarity and intent to trust the things that I wanted to pursue. Sure, I may have more resources than him but he had something more important: clarity of intent and trust in his inclinations. As we continued to talk, I mentioned that he can consider me as an older brother asking him questions about the challenges of life which he will inevitably face. But in contrast, he's the one who made me remember the lesson of trusting my own inclinations.
My last question pertained the dreaded question of money. I asked him how will he deal with the financial aspect of his sport, especially in his age where social pressure tends to push people into a traditional career path. He was also mature in his answer. He made me remember yet another lesson which took me years to understand. He said that in his present situation, he's not really doing his sport because of money. He said that if that was his goal, he could choose to work a job that pays well. But as any other person who values passion in his work (like I do), he will choose what he is inclined to do, he will choose to do boxing. He understands that by focusing on improving his skills, and by being patient in attaining proficiency over time, the money and other rewards will follow suit.
We soon parted ways thereafter and I came home thinking about our conversation. I realized that he passed all my questions, that I, in contrast, would not be able to give mature answers to, when I was his age.
Gigi exemplifies a person that has his heart and dedication in the right places. With his mentality, I'm sure he will be able to be great at his sport. He's a reminder not just to me but to everyone, especially young people, whose facing the challenges of life, that we must put trust in our skills, our passion, and in ourselves. Sports indeed is a training for life. I met a real athlete today. A mature young person that we could all find inspiration from.
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