Where were you when Olympian Carlos Yulo won his back-to-back Paris Olympics gold medals? Where were you when boxers Nesthy Petecio and Irene Villegas each took home a bronze medal? Where were you when pole vaulter EJ Obiena narrowly missed out on a bronze?
Many would answer they were cheering, clasping their hands, and holding their breath, waiting for the results.
But where were you when these athletes suffered their first injury from relentless training or faced their first loss in competition?
In an interview with Yulo, host Luis Manzano expressed gratitude for the gold medalist’s significant contributions to Philippine sports and acknowledged his challenges leading up to the Paris Olympics.
“Gusto kitang pasalamatan at i-congratulate du’n sa moments na hindi namin nakita. Because para sa’kin, du’n mo makikita ‘yung puso ng atletang Pinoy,” said Luis.
“Hindi naman ‘yung pagkatapos ma-perfect ni Carlos ‘yung landing niya. Hindi naman ‘yun ‘yung first time niyang ginawa ‘yun. Ilang beses munang babagsak ‘yan bago niya na-perfect ‘yun. At hindi natin nakikita ‘yun. Hindi nakikita ‘yung bagsak, ‘yung bukol. Ang nakikita lang natin is the celebration, the score, the gold medal, the awarding,” he continued.
Luis was right, wasn’t he? How many of us have taken the time to understand the stories of our Olympians before their greatest competitions?
This is the heart of the documentary series Puso in Paris 2024, which offers a behind-the-scenes look at the athletes’ journeys and the factors that contributed to their success.
In a screening of the docu-series, director Clev Mayuga highlighted the importance of supporting our national athletes to foster a positive sports environment.
“When we were deciding on the focal point of Puso in Paris, we knew that the message would be that Filipino Olympians already belong on the world stage. So how do we show that? And how do we tell that story to people not exposed to the daily lives of our Olympians?” said Mayuga.
“I care deeply about this project, and I hope it allows us to understand why our athletes deserve more support,” she added.
The documentary series, filmed during the athletes’ training and competitions, explores their personal stories, challenges, and victories. From Yulo’s journey to gymnastics success to the weightlifters’ inspiration from Hidilyn Diaz, the episodes reveal the human side of their Olympic dreams.
“As storytellers, our challenge was to engage people before the Olympics and handle the stories with depth beyond daily training routines,” Mayuga noted.
The four-part documentary was filmed during the lead-up to the 2024 Paris Olympics and released before the athletes’ medal quests, marking a century since the Philippines’ first Olympic participation.
“These athletes shared their stories, struggles, and triumphs with us. We began in Intramuros, Manila, followed Yulo to California for the USA Track and Field Grand Prix, traveled to Bangkok for the boxers’ training camp, and returned to Manila to capture the weightlifters’ stories,” Mayuga recalled.
Mayuga hopes Filipinos will continue to support their athletes and advocate for necessary changes to further their Olympic endeavors.
“The stories of our Olympians inspire us to care more and not be indifferent. Let’s be deeply supportive of our Filipino athletes,” she added.
Puso in Paris is available for streaming on Smart Communications’ YouTube channel.
