By Ravel Cruz
Profile: Jennyfer Capuli Birthday: November 11 Hobbies: Watching Discovery Channel and Animal Planet, reading books. Achievements: Medalists in Milo Marathon, National Opens and Little Olympics, Philippine Amateur Track and Field Association, International Athletics Association Federations, 2007 Adopted daughter of Valenzuela, Gold and silver medalist in Regional and National State Universities and Colleges Olympics 2012. |
Love.
What on earth is this four-letter word doing in the sports page? A section where the action begins and verbs flourish like the floods of Hagonoy. Where biceps lit the flame of a dynasty and a bulky warrior beheads a lowly opponent from the far, far away land of God-knows-where.
A place for iron hearts, not for mushy emotions.
But then again, someone would flip the page and write another chapter. And Bulacan State University’s prized runner Jennyfer Capuli is the willing author.
Puppy Love
“Volleyball was the first sport I really wanted to be in before, Grade 5 ako ‘non I think,” narrated Capuli.
The sport of spiking attracted the young lady. However, Capuli failed to make it to the team because of height problems.“Hindi ako natanggap ‘non, maliit lang kasi ‘ko,” said the daughter of a runner and a lady dancer.
She opted trying for Badminton, a game of shuttlecocks and smashes, strength and timing against the speed of light and a fashionable sport made to cater the ever-adoring public. But the same with what is stated above; she was again not accepted.
Now with two rejections under her belt, her sports dream seems to be on a dead-end. Then all of a sudden, ‘unexpected’ things began to trickle on her way.
“Biglang sinabi ng isang coach sa ‘kin na mag-athletics daw ako, kasi masipag daw ako sa training,”
Capuli eventually joined the Marulas Elementary School Valenzuela Athletics Team and set up her mind to the vast spaces of oval fields, competing not just with fellow runners but also with the blazing sunshine. It wasn’t an easy task; blood, sweat and tears were invested.
“No’n talagang nagsisimula pa lang ako, umiiyak ako sa training kasi sobrang hirap saka patayan talaga siya,”
The then fragile body of Capuli exchanged Barbie dolls for running shoes, cooking sets for marathon gears and cartoon-watching evenings for early dawn running at McArthur highway. Everyone thought that the lady sprinter was pushing herself to death, vying for unrealistic achievements and not enjoying her childhood, but she proved them wrong.
“Aminado naman akong nahirapan ako sa simula eh, but I was enjoying myself naman. I trained with my Father, and I’m a Papa’s girl,”
Like most sports anecdotes, it was hard work and struggle early on. But giving up isn’t an option, and that paved the way for her greatness.
P.D.A: Public Display of Achievements
A blooming runner in her elementary days, her thin body and small frame helped her in conquering wider arenas. She made it to the prestigious Palarong Pambansa in her first year with the team, leading her squad in relays and individual events.
Capuli used her momentum to fuel her hunger for domination. Training hours were doubled, her sleep was now monitored and a diet was sustained to keep her running body in shape.
Now a well-advertised runner with tons of potential, she was now a sought after gem for any school dreaming of building an athletic dynasty. But the lady sprinter remained loyal to home, enrolling in Valenzuela National High School.
The myth of athletic-bust was brushed off quickly like her sprints, and Capuli made a name out of crashing running opponents. She raced for grace and brought medals after medals from Milo Marathon, National Opens and Little Olympics and garnered recognitions from the likes of Philippine Amateur Track and Field Association, International Athletics Association Federations and was even named as the adopted daughter of Valenzuela in 2007.
“Produkto na rin siguro ‘yon ng training ko. I think all in all, nasa 100 plus ‘yong medals ko for running,”
Capuli’s discipline was extraordinary and the passion that sustains her love for sports burns like the Olympic torch. In short, she made it to the Region 3’s gold-lusting sport-machinery: Bulacan State University.
Her entrance was smooth. A bright talent needs no further introduction, while rookie mistakes aren’t part of Capuli’s vocabulary.
But like most primetime drama series, the lady sprinter’s life is not devoid of heartbreaks and challenges.
Heartbreaks
“I got pregnant,” revealed Capuli.
She was 17 and on her freshmen year when love entered her universe. Young and naïve, the runner found her heart racing to improbable heights and uncontrollable speed. And before long, she was carrying life inside her womb.
“Nagte-training ako no’ng nalaman ko na 3 months pregnant na pala ako. I was so down then, madami akong na-disappoint,”
It was a shock for the Capuli’s family. The once promising athlete and National Team aspirant is now facing the much complicated side of life that is parenthood. It was a learning moment for the runner. Her dreams, hopes and aspirations needs to be shelved for a while. The baby should be prioritized.
“I stopped for a while kasi I need to take care of myself, and the baby paglabas niya,”
The young mother spent three years carrying a baby instead of her running shoes, waking up early not because of trainings, but to change diapers. It was tough for her, physically and emotionally.
Her once chiseled body eventually surrendered from the tough schedule of motherhood, her immovable posture from the twist and turn of fate and her athletic life running slowly due to sleepless nights of worrying about her child’s future. But for Capuli, it doesn’t matter. It was the unconditional love of a mother that keeps her focused and hopeful.
“Hindi ko ‘yon pinagsisisihan kasi mahal ko ang baby ko. Kung hindi nangyari sa ‘kin ‘yon, eh di wala akong baby ngayon,”
It’s safe to assume that maternal responsibility would be enough to tie Capuli’s feet away from the running field, but then again, she proved every one of them wrong.
Moving On
A runner’s body is a physique scientifically designed for aesthetic purposes. Large biceps and triceps were out of the question, as one aspiring racer needs to keep his muscles intact and balance, not just focusing on a single body part. Needless to say, discipline is at its peak when one is seriously contending for a dash.
Three years of being away from scorching sun of running ovals, Capuli must double her effort to achieve her once irreplaceable greatness. “Kung nahirapan ako no’ng bata ako, mas nahirapan ako nang bumalik ako ngayon. Kasi sobrang wala na ‘ko sa kondisyon. Talagang back to zero at basics, and ‘yong resistensya ko hinabol ko pa,”
It was seven grueling months for the teenage mom before she took flight, rejoining the BulSU Athletics Team at the oval and living with them at the Athletics Quarter. But the hardships were worth it, Capuli boasts 6 gold medals in last year’s State Colleges and Universities Athletic Association, then harvesting 3 silvers and a single gold in the Nationals.
If back then it was passion that drove her for the gold, now it isn’t passion alone.
“I need to run para makapag-aral ako, at kailangan ‘kong makapag-aral at maka-graduate para makahanap ako ng magandang trabaho,”
Practicality spells the difference this time around. No more ill-advised decisions, no more fast-paced actions, homesickness need to be fought and future is now a priority.
“Madalas ‘di na ako nakakauwi sa ‘min. Sabi nga ng baby ko ‘wag na daw akong umalis, ‘di na lang daw siya mag-aaral. Pero siyempre, di naman p’wede ‘yon,”
It was love that fueled her fire from the start and that same feeling nearly destroyed her beings. But then again, it was love that saves the day for the runner.
This is a tale of a runner, a mother and a woman, of hard work and dedication, of love and passion. A love that was, a love that is. Run.
What on earth is this four-letter word doing in the sports page? A section where the action begins and verbs flourish like the floods of Hagonoy. Where biceps lit the flame of a dynasty and a bulky warrior beheads a lowly opponent from the far, far away land of God-knows-where.
A place for iron hearts, not for mushy emotions.
But then again, someone would flip the page and write another chapter. And Bulacan State University’s prized runner Jennyfer Capuli is the willing author.
Puppy Love
“Volleyball was the first sport I really wanted to be in before, Grade 5 ako ‘non I think,” narrated Capuli.
The sport of spiking attracted the young lady. However, Capuli failed to make it to the team because of height problems.“Hindi ako natanggap ‘non, maliit lang kasi ‘ko,” said the daughter of a runner and a lady dancer.
She opted trying for Badminton, a game of shuttlecocks and smashes, strength and timing against the speed of light and a fashionable sport made to cater the ever-adoring public. But the same with what is stated above; she was again not accepted.
Now with two rejections under her belt, her sports dream seems to be on a dead-end. Then all of a sudden, ‘unexpected’ things began to trickle on her way.
“Biglang sinabi ng isang coach sa ‘kin na mag-athletics daw ako, kasi masipag daw ako sa training,”
Capuli eventually joined the Marulas Elementary School Valenzuela Athletics Team and set up her mind to the vast spaces of oval fields, competing not just with fellow runners but also with the blazing sunshine. It wasn’t an easy task; blood, sweat and tears were invested.
“No’n talagang nagsisimula pa lang ako, umiiyak ako sa training kasi sobrang hirap saka patayan talaga siya,”
The then fragile body of Capuli exchanged Barbie dolls for running shoes, cooking sets for marathon gears and cartoon-watching evenings for early dawn running at McArthur highway. Everyone thought that the lady sprinter was pushing herself to death, vying for unrealistic achievements and not enjoying her childhood, but she proved them wrong.
“Aminado naman akong nahirapan ako sa simula eh, but I was enjoying myself naman. I trained with my Father, and I’m a Papa’s girl,”
Like most sports anecdotes, it was hard work and struggle early on. But giving up isn’t an option, and that paved the way for her greatness.
P.D.A: Public Display of Achievements
A blooming runner in her elementary days, her thin body and small frame helped her in conquering wider arenas. She made it to the prestigious Palarong Pambansa in her first year with the team, leading her squad in relays and individual events.
Capuli used her momentum to fuel her hunger for domination. Training hours were doubled, her sleep was now monitored and a diet was sustained to keep her running body in shape.
Now a well-advertised runner with tons of potential, she was now a sought after gem for any school dreaming of building an athletic dynasty. But the lady sprinter remained loyal to home, enrolling in Valenzuela National High School.
The myth of athletic-bust was brushed off quickly like her sprints, and Capuli made a name out of crashing running opponents. She raced for grace and brought medals after medals from Milo Marathon, National Opens and Little Olympics and garnered recognitions from the likes of Philippine Amateur Track and Field Association, International Athletics Association Federations and was even named as the adopted daughter of Valenzuela in 2007.
“Produkto na rin siguro ‘yon ng training ko. I think all in all, nasa 100 plus ‘yong medals ko for running,”
Capuli’s discipline was extraordinary and the passion that sustains her love for sports burns like the Olympic torch. In short, she made it to the Region 3’s gold-lusting sport-machinery: Bulacan State University.
Her entrance was smooth. A bright talent needs no further introduction, while rookie mistakes aren’t part of Capuli’s vocabulary.
But like most primetime drama series, the lady sprinter’s life is not devoid of heartbreaks and challenges.
Heartbreaks
“I got pregnant,” revealed Capuli.
She was 17 and on her freshmen year when love entered her universe. Young and naïve, the runner found her heart racing to improbable heights and uncontrollable speed. And before long, she was carrying life inside her womb.
“Nagte-training ako no’ng nalaman ko na 3 months pregnant na pala ako. I was so down then, madami akong na-disappoint,”
It was a shock for the Capuli’s family. The once promising athlete and National Team aspirant is now facing the much complicated side of life that is parenthood. It was a learning moment for the runner. Her dreams, hopes and aspirations needs to be shelved for a while. The baby should be prioritized.
“I stopped for a while kasi I need to take care of myself, and the baby paglabas niya,”
The young mother spent three years carrying a baby instead of her running shoes, waking up early not because of trainings, but to change diapers. It was tough for her, physically and emotionally.
Her once chiseled body eventually surrendered from the tough schedule of motherhood, her immovable posture from the twist and turn of fate and her athletic life running slowly due to sleepless nights of worrying about her child’s future. But for Capuli, it doesn’t matter. It was the unconditional love of a mother that keeps her focused and hopeful.
“Hindi ko ‘yon pinagsisisihan kasi mahal ko ang baby ko. Kung hindi nangyari sa ‘kin ‘yon, eh di wala akong baby ngayon,”
It’s safe to assume that maternal responsibility would be enough to tie Capuli’s feet away from the running field, but then again, she proved every one of them wrong.
Moving On
A runner’s body is a physique scientifically designed for aesthetic purposes. Large biceps and triceps were out of the question, as one aspiring racer needs to keep his muscles intact and balance, not just focusing on a single body part. Needless to say, discipline is at its peak when one is seriously contending for a dash.
Three years of being away from scorching sun of running ovals, Capuli must double her effort to achieve her once irreplaceable greatness. “Kung nahirapan ako no’ng bata ako, mas nahirapan ako nang bumalik ako ngayon. Kasi sobrang wala na ‘ko sa kondisyon. Talagang back to zero at basics, and ‘yong resistensya ko hinabol ko pa,”
It was seven grueling months for the teenage mom before she took flight, rejoining the BulSU Athletics Team at the oval and living with them at the Athletics Quarter. But the hardships were worth it, Capuli boasts 6 gold medals in last year’s State Colleges and Universities Athletic Association, then harvesting 3 silvers and a single gold in the Nationals.
If back then it was passion that drove her for the gold, now it isn’t passion alone.
“I need to run para makapag-aral ako, at kailangan ‘kong makapag-aral at maka-graduate para makahanap ako ng magandang trabaho,”
Practicality spells the difference this time around. No more ill-advised decisions, no more fast-paced actions, homesickness need to be fought and future is now a priority.
“Madalas ‘di na ako nakakauwi sa ‘min. Sabi nga ng baby ko ‘wag na daw akong umalis, ‘di na lang daw siya mag-aaral. Pero siyempre, di naman p’wede ‘yon,”
It was love that fueled her fire from the start and that same feeling nearly destroyed her beings. But then again, it was love that saves the day for the runner.
This is a tale of a runner, a mother and a woman, of hard work and dedication, of love and passion. A love that was, a love that is. Run.