NATHANIEL Perez continues to reign as the top men’s foil fencer in the Philippines, capturing the championship at the recent 2024 National Fencing Championships held at the Philsports Fencing Center in Pasig.
Perez clinched the title in a hard-fought final against Prince Felipe, while Sam Tranquillan and Louis Shoemaker earned a bronze each.
“They often say that once you’re at the top, there’s no room left for improvement. I disagree,” he wrote. “The effort required to maintain your ranking drives continuous growth and improvement,” Peres wrote on his page.
With renewed focus, Perez is now preparing for international competitions that he hopes will lead to a shot at the 2028 Olympics in Los Angeles.
Despite falling short of qualification for Paris 2024 alongside compatriots Noelito Jose and Hanniel Abella in the Asia-Oceania Zonal Olympic Qualifiers, Perez remains undeterred and committed to his Olympic dream.
The national fencing event also saw other standout performances as Noelito Jose took home the gold in men’s epee, Janna Catantan won the women’s foil title, Julyn Nicanor claimed women’s saber, CJ Concepcion took the men’s saber title, and Krups Kaya Ednilag topped the women’s epee.
Perez’s Olympic journey has gained significant momentum with his recent inclusion in the Ayala Foundation’s Atletang Ayala program, which supports 19 Filipino athletes in their pursuit of Olympic success.
As part of the program, athletes receive both career opportunities and access to state-of-the-art training facilities through the Ayala Group of Companies. Perez recently joined Ayala as a management trainee at the Ayala Multipurpose Cooperative, an experience he described as transformative.
“It’s an incredible honor to join this community of dedicated athletes,” Perez shared. “I can’t wait to grow, learn, and make an impact with the amazing support of the Ayala Group of Companies.”
