While most Filipinos in the social media overly expresses their amazement over the recognition figure skater Michael Christian Martinez in the 2014 Winter Olympics garnered, some are plain happy for his success. Saying, “Yeah, of course he is Pinoy”, makes me cringe though. Why can’t we stop saying that? False patriotism is not ever flattering to read or hear because it’s also too quick for us to judge when a Filipino commits a crime, our politicians is not even part of that equation.
The life of Michael Christian Martinez and the struggles that he and his mom has to face is unbelievable. Once again, a mother’s love proved to be the greatest strength and the ultimate source of support and determination. For every man’s success is a woman and it’s most of the time a mother. How his mother’s willingness to do everything and anything is beyond belief. I envy our first ever winter Olympian, I would kill for a mother like that. An individual in the stance of Michael ups my hope for the world, at 17, he showed each and everyone of us how to fight for our dreams. What he has is passion, a passion that most of us have given up or for some have regretfully and forcefully has to abandon.
Whether Michael gets a medal in the Winter Olympics or not, he has already proved everyone that he knows what he wants and he will stop at nothing to get it. He will either go on and eventually be the Champion or find some other passion; but the truth of the matter is that he is already there- he is already living that moment. He has shown me and the rest of us that everything is possible, I mean everything. I hope that young Filipinos would learn of what this experience have brought Michael in his life, and not just mere brag that he is a Filipino. Filipino or not, this Olympian has marked his existence in the world and that what we know about hope, dreams and fighting for them knows no season.
count.steps.forward 