Nesthy Petecio brought home a silver medal from the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games women’s featherweight final, giving Filipinos hope and another reason to rejoice in these trying times. In the wake of her Olympic win, let us relish the inspiring tale of the elite athlete who powered through life’s obstacles to become the first Filipina Olympic boxing medalist, via replay of a Maalaala Mo Kaya episode originally aired in January 2020.
Kapamilya star Jane De Leon was tapped to re-enact Nesthy’s life story after the latter’s triumphant performance at the 2019 Southeast Asian Games (SEA Games). Jane felt familiar emotions right after reading the script, thus she instantly grabbed the project. “Naka-relate agad ako kasi halos parehas kami ng pinagdaanan sa buhay. Alam namin ‘yung pakiramdam na walang makain sa mesa,” said Jane in this interview for Kapamilya Chat.
BEHIND THE SCENES: Ang paghahanda ni Jane De Leon sa MMK bilang si Nesthy Petecio
The actress and athlete pretty much became friends in real life. We can tell by how Jane calls Nesthy by her nickname and the way she described her. “Nes, manood ka! Dapat sinabi ko kay Nes na panoorin niya ‘to, eh,” she laughed before dropping the first adjective, which is “Pogi.” Jane continued, “Matapang, mapagmahal na anak, funny at joker.”
Jane took on her assignment diligently. She underwent three days of training to learn the basic moves and Nesthy herself was there to coach. “Minsan siya pa nagtatali ng buhok ko,” Jane reminisced.
She added that Nesthy gave her advice about sustaining power and endurance which also helps her prepare for Darna: The TV Series. She said Nesthy imbibes the golden aphorism “No pain, no gain.” The athlete’s attitude in and out of the boxing ring motivates Jane until now to also believe in her own strength.
Jane revealed that she received Nesthy’s jacket after the taping and it somewhat symbolizes their unexpected friendship. “Malaking bagay sa akin ‘yun kasi memorable at grabe ‘yung pinagsamahan naming dalawa. Ang weird, eh. Dun lang kami nagkita nung time na ‘yun pero parang ang tagal na naming magkakilala,” she looked back.
“Nes, pa-burger ka naman!” quipped the Kapamilya beauty when asked for her message to Nesthy. On a serious note, she expressed how proud she is of Nesthy’s victory. “Maraming pagsubok at hirap sa buhay ang naranasan mo with your family pero lahat nang ‘yan, malaking kapalit ang binigay sa’yo ni Lord. Maraming sumusuporta sayo sa likod mo,” she told the 2020 Tokyo Olympics silver medalist.
Jane further encouraged Nesthy to just believe in herself, focus on the people rooting for her, and never mind the negativity. “Kung merong mga negative diyan, huwag mong isipin ‘yan kasi ‘yan ay mga pagsubok lamang at nandito kami para sa’yo. Maraming, maraming salamat din!”
Through Nesty’s inspiring tale, Jane was reminded of the power of faith, surrender, and not giving up on one’s dream and that God always has a better plan.
Don’t miss the Nesthy Petecio story in MMK “Pangarap at Kamao” hosted by Charo Santos-Concio, on August 7 at 8:30 pm, on Kapamilya Channel, Kapamilya Online Live, and A2Z.