(CNN Philippines) — Sashi Montaña was like any other bored nine-year-old girl who was searching for a meaningful pastime while waiting for the onset of the new school year. Before she tried wushu.
It turned out that she would like the sport, and what was first a hobby eventually turned into a passion.
The next thing she knew, she was already a top-caliber Filipino athlete with over 13 medals – from all the local and international events she joined – under her belt.
But the dazzling medal haul required more than time and effort to mount.
“I had to set my priorities right and use my free time wisely,” said Montaña, who was invited to try out for the national team upon winning the gold medal in the 2008 National Championships.
“Being homeschooled, I get to manage my own studies and sometimes bring them with me wherever I go. I learned how to discipline myself and I developed perseverance in both my training and in my studies. More often than not, I get delayed I my studies and it can get frustrating.”
The rigorous training put her studies in jeopardy many times, so she thought of quitting. In the end, her love for the sport, although not as popular as basketball and volleyball in the sporting kingdom in the Philippines, prevailed.
After all, there’s gain in every sweat she lost.
“Yes, many times I thought of quitting,” she admitted, “because training can be very daunting and draining especially when preparing for a competition.”
“But I realized that after reaching that point of wanting to give up, which I have reached several times, my resolve is strengthened each time I overcome that challenge. Essentially, I come out as a stronger person.”
She added, “What keeps me going is maintaining a thankful attitude. I am reminded that the talents and opportunities are blessings from God and He is worthy of my best. I want to honor God, my family, and my country through my abilities.”
Working with Special Olympics
On top of representing the country in international tiffs, Montaña is also a Special Olympics volunteer that promotes “understanding, acceptance, and inclusion between people with and without intellectual disabilities.”
Personally, she wanted people with intellectual disabilities to feel they belong in the same way wushu did to her when she was in limbo during that one summer 11 years ago.
She applied as Global Youth Ambassador for a Youth Summit during the 2013 Special Olympics World Winter Games in South Korea, and got accepted with her partner, Brina Maxino, an 18-year-old with Down Syndrome.
“As a team, we represented the Philippines and the Asia Pacific Region. We were elected to serve as co-Chairs for the next Youth Summit this 2015,” she said.
“During our two-year term, we organized projects to promote the mission of Special Olympics and deliver the message of acceptance and inclusion.”
Little did they know, their efforts actually did wonders. The pair was invited to have dinner with United States of America (USA) president Barack Obama and his wife, Michelle, to celebrate “Special Olympics and A Unified Generation” at the White House.
“It was an opportunity given to only a selected few youth pairs around the world. It was an amazing and surreal experience!” she said with so much gusto.
“Not even in my wildest imagination did I expect that believing in an advocacy could bring us to places like this.”
For sure, a lot of young athletes look up to her and want to take the same path she is treading.
Her advice to aspiring athletes?
“Get into something you really love and do it with the best of your abilities. Whatever challenges you face, don’t be discouraged,” she said.
