Jamie Lim on graduating summa cum laude, bagging golds: No shortcuts

Southeast Asian Games gold medalist Jamie Lim had been doing karate since she was six years old. 

However, she only had five months to train for the 30th SEA Games after a four year break to focus on her studies.

In an interview on "State of the Nation with Jessica Soho," the University of the Philippines summa cum laude said getting back into the sport after a four-year hiatus was a difficult task.

“At the start po it was really hard. After graduating, I was slow, I was the slowest runner, napapagod ako nang madali,” Jaime said.

Through the support of her coaches, Jamie regained her karatedo prowess “slowly but surely.”

“I knew it would be hard po kasi high-level athletes ‘yung competition ko dun… Pero once I decided to start, I decided 110% po talaga ako,” Jamie said.

FULL COVERAGE: 30th Southeast Asian Games on GMA News Online

Jamie's hard work paid off on Monday when she bagged the gold in the karatedo competition held at the World Trade Center. 

Even off the mat, the athlete is a champion.

In June, Jamie graduated summa cum laude from the University of the Philippines with a degree in mathematics.

The daughter of PBA legend Samboy Lim and former Pag-IBIG Fund chief Darlene Berberabe said her parents were her biggest inspiration.

“Idol ko po silang dalawa, sobra sobra po. Both of them are very kind people, very humble even though they’re the best in their field,” Jamie said.

“When I went to college I said I wanted to be like mom, so every day nasa utak ko po ‘yung goal ko na maging summa cum laude.”

It was a mindset that she took with her even in training.

“No breaks po, no shortcuts, basta importante po na eye on the goal all the time,” Jamie said.

Jamie previously made waves in the karate scene last October when she took home the gold in the senior female 68 kgs Kumite in Turkey. 

Still on a high from her SEA Games victory, the Karatedo champ said she plans to take a break before returning to school to earn a master’s degree. 

“Right now I’m just taking a breather. Let’s see what happens next,” she said. —Julia Ornedo/NB, GMA News