Unbendable Passion

A Student Athlete’s Badmin-TALE

Dedication. Inspiration. Motivation.

These words served as the foundation of Klowe Monterola’s sports journey. A student athlete in
the Grade 12, Midsalip National High School that was robbed two years’ worth of sporty opportunities
because of Covid -19. However, as MNHS greets Sport’s Fest with a warm smile once again, a special
chapter in her life which led to a road of thorns and roses unfold.

COVID-19, flooded MNHS with rough waters as it stops all fun activities including sports. Many
student athletes regretted this crying reality that made their passion locked behind bars. When
quarantine fell, sporty people felt hell. One of these unfortunate individuals is Klowe Monterola, a proud
student and at the same time badminton enthusiast. Because of the doubled responsibilities that was
thrown to her, she couldn’t find time to tend to her calling as a badminton player.

“Gisayangan kos part nga na putol ko sa badminton kay nawala naman gud ang akong skills or
kamaayo sa pagdula kay kay akong training nawala na” she said. This is a fact that she discovered in the
return of Intramurals. There was a strange gap that kept pestering her as she swung her racquet to hit
the shuttle down the opposite court. After several plays she knew, that gap was caused by the decline of
her skill. “Pagbalik sa Intrams kay nabag ohan ko sa dula, mas dali ko gi hangak mao to nga dako kaayug
impact ang pag abot sa covid kay daghan kaayu kog na miss” she added.

Did that make you feel bad for her? Well brace yourselves because it’s not even her worst
misfortune. Whenever Intramurals come around, tournaments also follow it around. To some, this
seemed as a huge breather, but for Klowe, this was a luxury she cannot afford. Why is this so? Well,
Sports Fest has a very important rule that are feared by all student athletes making them value their
time while they still can. It’s the age requirement rule. Only individuals who are 17 years old below can
participate in the official matches. Well fir Klowe, this was a sad truth as she is now 18 years old. Just try
to imagine, someone who had that strong passion for sports was put to silence for two years, only to
face the reality of not being qualifying again in the return of Intrams.

You might say her story is sad indeed, but relax because that’s not where her sports journey
comes to an end. Despite all of those unexpected turns in her life, she never once came to acknowledge
the word “stop” when it comes to badminton. As a sports enthusiast stopping her badminton life will
never bear a good fruit and is therefore meaningless. To Klowe, badminton was not just a game of
racquets and shuttles, rather it was also a way for her to release the heavy weight of her problems.
Badminton was a moment of relaxation, an escape from all the mental issues she had to face every day.
“Tungod saakoang kadugay ani nga sport, nahatagan kog chance nga makatudlo sa mga begginers dre sa
atoang campus” she shared. Even though she couldn’t participate in the tournament anymore, she used
her remaining knowledge to share the arsenals that are still within her, giving a golden chance for others
to develop quickly. Truly she demonstrated the spirit of sportsmanship. When asked about how she felt
about not being able to play in the Sports Fest, she simply said, “Im proud, kay bisag wanako nadala
tungod sakoa edad, atleast nakatabang kos uban nga kasunod nako para ma improve ilang skills ani nga
sports”.

They say that with every gigantic waterfall, comes a river waiting down below. A river that will
continue to drift and never stop. In that waterfall Klowe Monterola fell but still continued to drift
towards her new tomorrow. She really displayed her own badminton tale, her badmin-tale. And as you
have just read, her passion for badminton can never be broken no matter what. Age, gender, and grade,
won’t stop her from jumping up high, and smash the shuttle in front of her eyes. If your curious why her
dedication for sports never wavered, well it’s because in every match she played, on and off court, she
faced it with a whole pack of confidence. “What I’m good at, I don’t mind sharing, because it’s not a
secret. It’s good to know that I can go out on the field believing that I can take on the world” she
concluded