Being able to represent one’s nation is among the highest honors an athlete can have. Standing tall at the international stage marks an athlete as a cut above the rest, after having edged out domestic rivals worthy of also playing for the flag.
In the recently concluded 2021 Southeast Asian (SEA) Games held last June, DLSU Lady Tanker Chloe Isleta stamped herself among the best in the region with her stellar performance.
Isleta brought glory to the Philippine delegation as she bagged two silver medals in the Women’s 100m Backstroke and Women’s 4x100m Medley Relay events, capped by a gold medal in the 200m Backstroke. After garnering silverware against grueling competition, Isleta reflects on her journey in achieving her goals, while looking at the exciting road ahead.
Through stormy waters
For a tough competitor like Isleta, the entire competition starts long before the opening ceremony. The Marketing student attributes her success to mental preparation, “This SEA Games—because of COVID-19—really [made me] focus on my mental health, my mentality [inside and outside of] swimming. I think that’s what helped me have the confidence to be able to perform better than I did two years ago.”
Just like any other young athlete in this challenging period, the Lady Tanker was forced to maintain her form amid tough challenges brought by the pandemic. Conditions were far from ideal, as the backstroke specialist shares, “It was difficult because pools and gyms were closed.” This prompted her to diverge from ideal training routines without using a swimmer’s primary playing field: the pool.
“I tried to do a lot of dryland work to get my body [and] muscles moving. I swam where I could—[sometimes in] my backyard pool, which is very small,” Isleta stresses. Still, she managed to “keep [her] body active” despite all the unusual conditions present.
At times, major adjustments may sway others, as a different environment can alter how an athlete approaches the sport. But for Isleta, she refused to let this affect her and displayed grit to push through, “I didn’t want to make the pandemic something that would really set me back. I tried to find other ways to continue to motivate myself and [to keep my] passion,” the Lady Tanker posits.
Staying in her lane
For any athlete, heavy expectations brought by the public may turn into pressure that could negatively affect one’s performance. But having the ability to overcome this pressure contributes to an athlete’s success and greatness.
In dealing with newfound pressure from every major tournament, Isleta takes pride in her ability to stay composed and zoned-in throughout each competition—thanks to some key practices. “When I walk out, I play my own music, and I only take off my earbuds at the very last minute.
I don’t look at the fans, I just look at my lane and that’s the only thing I need to focus on at the moment. When I see that lane, I think of my home pool. I really zone into the moment,” she expresses.
Despite these practices, Isleta still had to deal with major turning points during the SEA Games as she missed out on a medal in the 50m Backstroke event.
The Lady Tanker then collected herself by focusing on the task at hand instead of racing hard just to garner medals. After a change in mentality, Isleta put all her shortcomings behind her as she followed it up with a spectacular performance in the 200m Backstroke event that would garner the Philippines’ first female gold medal in 29 years in swimming.
Undoubtedly, Isleta was able to succeed through the help of people surrounding her, such as her coaches and teammates. However, Isleta’s mother served as the primary source of support and inspiration, as she stayed by the national swimmer’s side throughout her athletic journey. “[In] times where it reached a breaking point in which I didn’t want to swim anymore, [she] motivated me to continue and find my love for this sport again,” the SEA Games athlete shares.
Building a legacy
Despite showcasing her capability to succeed at an international stage, Isleta feels that Filipino representatives in swimming need more support. In the gold medalist’s view, the development of local talents can be strengthened by holding additional swim meets, “There [are] a lot of things that need to [be] improved. I’ve noticed that [these] past two years, we’ve only had [only two to three] swim meets. And that’s very difficult [for] a swimmer—as someone who needs to learn how to race [in] their event.”
The Lady Tanker admits that Filipino swimmers are not given enough access to pools for their individual training at the moment, noticing that other swimmers “swim maybe four times a week.” The California native also discloses that she is currently training in the United States due to limitations in the Philippines.
In her home state, Isleta discloses that she is currently training in the water nine times a week, in addition to weights and dryland work—with hopes of building on her current momentum to compete in the next SEA Games and hopefully, the 2024 Olympics.
As Isleta continues to bring pride to her country and alma mater, the challenger gives a message to the Lasallian community. “I’m excited that I’m representing [DLSU]. [I’m] especially [looking forward to] the UAAP. Everyone has been so welcoming to me and I just really feel like [I’m] part of a family.
And that’s something that’s very rare,” she ends with enthusiasm.
Job’s not done
UAAP Season 84 has not disappointed anyone, with the Basketball season being a success and currently the Volleyball season underway it is safe to say that everyone, especially the fans, is excited for the other sports to come back for the UAAP. Isleta herself makes it known that she is already eager to suit up for the school and aims to bring glory to the LaSallian name as she feels at home and welcomed by her teammates and coaches. ”I’m excited to swim with my teammates. I swam at PNAG and we got to hang out and know each other even more. I’m excited to represent DLSU”
The job isn’t done for the swimmer, after her medal-winning performance in the SEA Games she is already in high gear preparing for the FINA World Championships in Hungary on June 18 where she plans to continue her medal run. “Of course, the end goal is to get a better time but right now I’m focusing on how to start my race – how to “swim” my race”. The swimmer already has her eyes set on the future goals as well namely the 2023 SEA Games and 2024 Olympics. “There’s a lot of things I need to improve on especially for SEA Games next year and possibly 2024 Olympics if I do get my cut-off time, so there’s a lot of learning in the process right now for the next couple meets.”Athletes such as Chloe showing the fruits of hard work and dedication she has become an inspiration to Filipino swimmers young and old. It makes you wonder who else can be the next Chloe Isleta? “I see so much potential – I went to PNAG [and] I swam with a couple amount of teams and they have so much passion for the sport – they swam with their hearts – and there are a lot of things to improve on,” says Isleta. With the current state of sports in the country especially after the height of the pandemic, a lot of questions surround the trajectory of Swimming in the Philippines. “I’ve noticed in the past 2 years there have only been 2 swim meets and that is very difficult – I hope more competitions start to open up”, she says concernedly. With all things considered it is safe to say that there should be more focus and support given to not just the current athletes but to potential future medal-winning athletes as well.
