Two-time Olympic boxing medalist Nesthy Petecio has made a firm promise: she won’t stop until she brings home Olympic gold.
Fresh from receiving her second home in Tagaytay City, Petecio is reigniting the same fire that once fueled her rise to Olympic glory—this time, with her eyes firmly set on the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics.
“Target ko na ngayon ang LA Olympics. Nakuha ko na ‘yung isang unit. Tutal, approved na ang boxing sa LA Olympics,” she said with renewed determination.
“Hindi hihinto hangga’t walang ginto,” she vowed.
Petecio’s passion was reignited last February after the official confirmation that boxing would remain part of the Olympic Games. The International Olympic Committee (IOC) granted provisional recognition to World Boxing and unanimously voted to retain the sport for LA 2028, ending years of uncertainty.
Petecio shared her revived Olympic dreams during the Philippine Olympic Committee’s (POC) house blessing and turnover ceremony in Tagaytay. She was one of three Paris 2024 Olympic medalists—alongside Carlos Yulo and Aira Villegas—awarded house-and-lot units in recognition of their achievements.
“I feel incredibly blessed. I even put in some of my own money to make improvements,” said Petecio, proudly giving her relatives a tour of her new home. The townhouse, located in the Prime Peak Townhouse subdivision in Barangay Silang Crossing West, Cavite, was customized with personal touches she had requested weeks before receiving the keys.
A trailblazer in Philippine boxing, Petecio began her journey in the sport at age 11. She made history with a silver medal win at the Tokyo 2020 Olympics, becoming the first Filipina boxer to achieve such an honor. She followed that up with a bronze medal at the Paris 2024 Games.
When she received her first home in Tagaytay four years ago, she selflessly gave it to her sister, Nicezza. Now, with a second home and a renewed dream, Petecio is once again setting her sights on Olympic greatness.
“Nakahanda na ang pang-LA. Dalawa na ‘yan. Pero kayang maging lima,” said POC President and Tagaytay City Mayor Abraham Tolentino, referring to the homes given as motivation for athletes to dream bigger and reach higher.