Ian Lariba: Work. Win. Celebrate. Repeat.

What distances the great athletes from the pack is how they continue to outdo themselves on a consistent basis, pushing the envelope and setting the bar higher. Fans may be in awe of the increasing number of championships or growing personal accolades a player attains, but the relentless athlete will always want more, a “good” greed that is built on the passion to win, succeed, and be the best.

Lady Paddler Ian Lariba, whose college career came to an end last season, has always managed to find ways to surpass the achievements she earned in the previous year, with her final year ending with another UAAP championship and a spot on the table tennis event of the 2016 Summer Olympics in Brazil. It was no surprise, that for all her achievements, the UAAP awarded her the Season 78 Athlete of the Year Award.

“Very very grateful lang talaga,” Lariba says when asked about the past year. “At least we ended the UAAP with a high note. Nag[double back-to-back-]champion kami [for table tennis] then nag General Champions. Tas yun nga yung Olympics tas eto [Athlete of the Year Award]. So parang it’s a year talaga for La Salle din. So I’m really happy na I was also part of that.”

Her win wasn’t met with surprise, but the award itself had its own controversies. Aside from Lariba, Ateneo’s Alyssa Valdez and Jessie Lacuna, and Adamson’s Queeny Sabobo were also awarded the Athlete of the Year Award, leading many to question whether the spirit of the award remains. Yet through all this, Lariba remains thankful simply looking at the positive side of things.

“Oo siyempre kasi it’s normal naman talaga sa Philippines na very famous nung basketball and volleyball,” she says, adding that she has so much respect for Valdez, who she believes brought so much to the sport of volleyball. “But I’m also happy na the UAAP is also recognizing now some sports na pwede pala tayong umangat. And at least like swimming, table tennis, and softball are given the chance as well na mas makilala din yung mga players din dun sa larangan na yan.”

Looking back at her career, Lariba remains happy that she has learned and overcome so much since she first set foot in La Salle. Since being named Rookie of the Year in Season 74, Lariba’s success bred more success as she won three championships in the next four years, with Season 76 ending in a tough finals loss to the UP Lady Maroons. Even with that second-place finish, she finished her five-year career with a perfect individual match record, an unprecedented feat in a sport with a handful of title contenders in UP, FEU, and UST.

It was natural that each passing season would prove to be more difficult than the last one and in her fifth and final year, Lariba felt the pressure not just to remain perfect but also to deliver another title to the school. Despite all that, she and the rest of the Lady Paddlers breezed through the competition and clinched the title, allowing Lariba to end her career with a title and a perfect record.

“Entering into my fifth year, parang madami nagsasabi din na ‘O Yan, mas okay if wala kang talo kasi it’s something that you can be proud of.’,” she recounts. “Pero sa akin siyempre nandun din yung [pressure], lalo na sa UAAP, very pressured ako kasi siyempre lahat ng tao pag natalo ka, ‘Uy si ganito ganyan natalo si Yan Yan natalo niya.’ Hindi na makakalimutan ng buong bayan yan eh diba. So para sa akin naman kasi I just really want to do my part first, and kasi sa [UAAP] table tennis once ka lang makakalaro sa six kayo na nakalineup.”

With her UAAP career now finished, her sights are set on making her mark on the Olympic Games. Playing in the Games is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity and though Lariba admits that there is certainly no pressure as compared to playing in the UAAP, she doesn’t want to be caught up in the moment or playing as if she’s simply happy to be there.

As of press time, Lariba is also training in Korea with some of the best players and programs over there. To end her nearly month-long training, Lariba will compete in the International Table Tennis Federation (ITTF) World Tour Korea Open from June 22 to 26, where she will further measure herself against some of the game’s best.

“Medyo may maraming changes and mas intense actually yung training,” she says on her training here in Manila. “So medyo high level and mas nakakahimatay yung training. Our usual schedule is every day, and around six to seven hours a day, so yun, kasi I’m also under our Korean coach/trainer, so yung perspective niya and yung style niya medyo pang Asian din.”

It is perhaps a new frontier for the Cagayan native to venture into but with all the support she continues to receive from her family, friends, and even her teammates at DLSU, she remains motivated and focused on her goal to make an impact in Rio. Even when she trains with the national team at the Table Tennis Association of the Philippines (TATAP) training center in the Rizal Memorial Center, she makes time to drop by La Salle to visit and at times even train with her now former teammates.

“Malaki rin yung impact ng DLSU Paddlers,” Lariba says. “As in from the start palang. Kasi pag pasok ko very welcoming na sila and sila na rin yung naging family ko dito sa Manila. So siyempre, pag pasok ko, iba yung mga seniors na and all throughout the years, parang iba ibang mga tao yung nakahalubilo ko sa team and parang naging kapatid mo na rin sila. So malaking bagay din yung culture ng team.”

Now with a renewed focus on the Olympics, Lariba remains confident and excited to face the challenges ahead. With the Summer Games set slated for August, she knows that with the training she is receiving and the support she has had throughout her career will be the things that will help her get it done in Rio.

“Ngayon, tapos na UAAP ko so parang ang laking bagay din lalo na sila coach Lau,” she says. “Sobrang dami kong natutunan sa kanila. So yun, I mean for those five years, sila din kasi yung naging inspiration ko to win also and to give back.”