Isa Bonifacio: Defining equilibrium

For the athletes of De La Salle University, success has two implications. Not only are the athletes expected to do extremely well in sports, they are also obliged to excel academically, in order to bring pride to their school on and off the field.

Lady Jin Alyssa Bonifacio, a fourth year taekwondo competitor majoring in economics and accountancy (AE-BSA) comprehends all too well the difficulties of student-athletes.

The life of students like Bonifacio is often hectic, requiring a through examination of schedule and will. “I follow the same routine every day. I wake up at 5:30 in the morning to prepare for our 6am trainings. After that, I take a shower then go straight to class or school to study. During my spare time, I start preparing for my classes the next day.”

Her routine isn’t all about work though, and she adds, “Whenever my school work doesn’t demand too much of time, I hang out with my close friends, do org work, or workout in the gym. I also made it a habit to pass by the chapel every day to pray and thank God for His guidance. Usually, I sleep at around 1 or 2am after I finish all requirements in school and my extra-curricular activities,”

Just like other athletes, she knows where her priorities lie, and what she wants to do in life. Having a set of goals pushes her to work harder and to be better, even if it means that she has to sacrifice rest and leisure. The fact that she has been a student-athlete since she was in grade school also helped condition her mind and body to the demands of both sports and academics.

When asked if there was a time when taekwondo got in the way of her academics, she answers that, “My schedule gets crazy during my MOD terms, wherein I take each subject for only 2-6 weeks. The pace is really fast and the daily workload is beyond what one can imagine.”

Furthermore, she reinforces that during that time, she really found it hard to balance training and studying, since the latter eats up all of her time. There comes a point, whether you like it or not, that she have to prioritize one over the other. She always chooses academics first, but after she has adjusted, she works harder to make up for the trainings she missed.

The Lady Jin concludes, “We must always bear in mind that there is more to being an athlete than just performing well in our respective sports. We are students first, and therefore we must set our goals and keep our priorities in line. Being a student-athlete doesn’t mean we are special compared to non-athletes. It just means we are blessed to have the chance to give back to the community that supports us all the way. We must show the same passion and heart in everything we do, be it in academics or sports. Lastly, as my friend and fellow Lasallian Loi Almeron, a Communication Arts Cum Laude, says, ‘Excellence should not be just our goal; it should be our standard.’”