WITH how fast-paced and evolutionary the world has become, changing careers, or dropping that job you’re passionate about for something new, seems to be the call of nature for the common good. It depends on the person in question if they are willing to adjust to a new profession and get themselves in a position to excel in it.
Neil Andoque, a former FM radio jockey who went by the name Jack Melo, has the gallantry to make the transition, in his case, from being a DJ delivering mainstream music while smooth-talking on air with his “casanova persona” to someone practically dealing with “the way of the water.” He is now a swimming coach.
“Leaving something that you’re passionate about is very hard to do, but as fate would have it, I was also destined for something else,” said the one-time “Prince of the Airwaves” from ABS-CBN’s famed FM radio station.
The former DJ is now a go-to guy for kids and adults to learn basic and competitive swimming, especially with the birth of Coach Neil’s Leopard Seals.
Incredibly, he was already 30 years old when he learned how to swim but nevertheless became so passionate about it that he concentrated on swimming for two years straight, dipping himself in the pool three to four times a week for two to three hours of training. Such a routine made him “really confident in water” and it led him to scuba diving.
Neil shared, “I started teaching swimming just this March. Someone was inquiring about swimming lessons and I quickly presented myself. I found out there was a need for swimming instructors in my locality (Bonifacio Global City). Six months later I find myself not only teaching basics to swim classes but I am also encouraging students to compete and engage in swimming as a sport.”
His love for the underwater scene pushed him to become a divemaster for three years working at different resorts in Anilao, Batangas. He had a good run with Divestination Philippines, an online travel agency that specializes in diving trips in the Philippines.
He noted, “A group of swimming enthusiasts investing in the future of our grassroots athletes are conducting seminars and workshops for coaches like me to enhance our experience and knowledge of the sport. They hold swim competitions for teams to test the potential of students.”
Swim League Philippines president Fred Galang Ancheta has served as Neil’s mentor and urged him to put up his swim school. “I never had the confidence to make one,” Neil humbly said, “I was satisfied with just teaching. But, for me to join the competitions, I needed a team for my students. It was more of a practical requirement.”
Back in the 1990s, Neil was christened Jack Rabbit partly because the name Jack was half of the star-crossed lovers aboard James Cameron’s Titanic. That became Jack Melo because of his “mellow tone” voice.
Asked about his take on the current radio scene, Neil, in his usual sincere tone, said, “I don’t like where it’s heading and how it has changed. I’ve always considered myself as an old-school guy. Then again, we have to evolve, we have to accept evolution even if it doesn’t appeal to us. One thing that I do like about this evolution is that you are no longer bound to the limitations of listening to your favorite music or personality. Everything now is accessible with a push of a button.”
With such clarity of thought, positivity, and determination to feel that “sense of achievement” by helping swimming enthusiasts “surpass their physical and psychological hindrances,” there is no doubt you’re safe in the care of coach Neil, with his “well-crafted baritone voice” and “passion for communicating” still intact and assuring some great ‘pool-fillment.’