Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, August 16) – From being a shy boy always bullied in school, to a more confident gentleman ready to face life’s challenges.
Taekwondo was a big factor in shaping the life of Allain Ganapin, who was influenced by his high school best friend to take up the sport.
“Iniinvite niya ako since alam niyang nabu-bully ako. Hindi ako nagpapa-bully kasi, lumalaban ako. Noong una, tinatanggihan ko kasi nahihiya talaga ako,” said Ganapin, whose right arm was amputated up to his elbow due to a congenital disorder.
[Translation: He invited me since he knows that I was always being bullied. I did not allow myself to be bullied so I fought back. At first, I declined his invitation since I’m very shy.]
The Marikina native was encouraged to try the sport by his coach Crisanto Angeles, who saw his potential to be the country’s first para-taekwondo athlete.
“Hinikayat niya ako mag-ensayo at nagtuluy-tuloy na (He encouraged me to practice and it continued from there),” the 23-year-old Ganapin said.
In his early years as a taekwondo practitioner, Ganapin competed against jins without disabilities, which boosted his self-confidence on and off the mat.
“Doon ko napakita sa kanila na kaya kong tumayo sa harap ng maraming tao (I proved to them that I can stand on my own in front of many people),” said Ganapin, who joined the national team in 2015.
Ganapin’s entry to the Philippine team was also the time when para-taekwondo started to boom internationally, enabled him to compete in several foreign meets.
He won bronze medals at the Oceania Taekwondo Open in 2017 and at the recently concluded Asian Paralympic qualifiers in Amman, Jordan.
Despite failing to grab the outright Paralympic berth in Amman, Ganapin’s performance there was noticed and he eventually secured a Tokyo Paralympics slot after international governing body World Taekwondo approved his bipartite application.
With the feat, Ganapin made history as the sole Filipino competitor in the inaugural Paralympic taekwondo competitions in Tokyo.
“Pagkagising ko, parang akong binagsakan ng magandang balita na umuulan ng blessing sa loob ng dorm (When I woke up upon hearing the news, I felt like many blessings fell down upon me inside our dorm),” Ganapin recalled the moment his Paralympic qualification was confirmed while with other Filipino jins inside the Inspire Sports Academy training bubble in Calamba, Laguna.
Ganapin revealed that prior to the Asian Paralympic qualifiers, he shed some excess pounds from 89 kilograms to below 75 kgs, the ideal weight for his division.
As expectations are high for his Paralympic debut, Ganapin declared that he is determined to bring home a medal for the Philippines.
“Sana makakuha, kahit isa man sa tatlong medal na ‘yun, (I hope to get at least one of those three medals,)” said Ganapin.
The confidence and winning attitude he nurtured as a taekwondo practitioner for over a decade will be Ganapin’s assets as he takes his act to Tokyo.
“Dati, lagi kong tinatago ang arm ko kasi sobrang nahihiya ako. Now, nakakatayo na ako sa sarili ko at kaya ko ng maglakad nang diretso. Hindi na ako nahihiya,” Ganapin shared. “Gusto kong makita ako ng mga tao na lumalaban.”
[Translation: Before, I always hide my arm because I’m very shy. Now I can stand up for myself and can walk straight. I’m not shy anymore. I want people to see that I can fight for our country.]
Ganapin will contend for the Paralympic gold on Sept. 3 in the men’s K44 -75kg division at the Makuhari Messe Hall B.
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