00:00 [music]
00:02 [music]
00:04 [music]
00:06 [music]
00:08 [music]
00:10 [music]
00:12 Heartbreaking and Redeeming. There is what I aimed for.
00:15 The first time I held a fencing competition.
00:17 The first time I held a fencing competition.
00:19 The first time I held a fencing competition.
00:21 The first time I held a fencing competition.
00:23 The first time I held a fencing competition.
00:25 The first time I held a fencing competition.
00:27 The first time I held a fencing competition.
00:29 The first time I held a fencing competition.
00:31 The first time I held a fencing competition.
00:33 The first time I held a fencing competition.
00:35 The first time I held a fencing competition.
00:37 The first time I held a fencing competition.
00:39 The first time I held a fencing competition.
00:41 The first time I held a fencing competition.
00:43 Believe it or not, the first thing I did was to kneel down and really thank God for answering my prayers.
00:49 It was such an emotional rollercoaster.
00:51 Everything that happened in the past year, all the scenes just flashed across my mind.
00:57 In July of 2022, Maxine suffered an ACL injury or a torn ligament in her knee that forced her to stop playing.
01:07 Her injury resulted in her being removed from the Philippine National Fencing Team, which was the reason why she decided to change her nationality.
01:16 They were really painful and stressful and I really wish it wouldn't happen to any other athlete.
01:22 The time when they removed me, the scars were both physical and emotional.
01:27 I just really prayed to God and said, "Lord, please fight this fight for me."
01:34 But instead of being discouraged, she used this challenge to further enhance her skills.
01:41 This journey has been both heartbreaking and redeeming.
01:45 I just really focused on doing well.
01:47 Now that she's qualified, Maxine knows that she still has a long way to go.
01:52 That's why she's now focused on her training.
01:55 But she's doing all of this not just for the country but for herself, especially for the Filipinos.
02:02 Ever since I started fencing, it was always my goal to go to the Olympics for the Philippines.
02:08 It was really sad that I needed to switch countries because it wasn't really part of the plan.
02:14 I will carry the Filipino heart and pride with me wherever I am.
02:18 I don't think you can ever wipe that out just because of a federation switch.
02:22 For GMA Integrated News, I'm Martin Avier, for 24 Hours.
02:28 [♪♪]
Comments