Kelvin dela Peña had a good life in Canada and there was not much more he could have asked for.
But he left it all behind to play high-level basketball in the Philippines—a move that, until now, would top the list of the best decisions he made in life.
“I left my parents, I left my friends, I left Canada, basically,” dela Peña, a product of Mapua University, shared on ‘Rise Up Stronger: The Road to NCAA Season 96’ on Thursday.
“My life there was somewhat already set but there was no choice because I had to get the Rookie of the Year (award), I wanted to get all the accolades, and all the awards since I gave up a lot.”
And it all paid off for the 6-foot-1 guard.
When he joined the Cardinals in 2005, he immediately made an impact after bagging home the NCAA Rookie of the Year and the NCAA Most Valuable Player plum back in 2007, a year where he also made it to the Mythical First Team.
“So when I won rookie of the year, it absolutely felt good,” the Canada-raised cager recalled.
“When I won the MVP, it was so surreal. It’s not just basketball, everything in life for me was working.”
He then made a leap to the PBA and was drafted 15th overall by the Alaska franchise during the 2008 Draft. He played for the Aces from 2008 to 2010 before finding his way to powerhouse San Miguel Beermen where he suited up for a year.
In 2013, he returned to Canada where he would play for Calgary Crush in the American Basketball League. The second-generation baller had also found a deep passion for coaching young hopefuls.
He coached a handful of girls’ and boys’ teams in Canada including St. Mary’s University and Bishop McNally High School.
“I truly don't do this for money and this sounds corny, but the most fulfilling for me is when I can go to sleep at night knowing that I have good practice.”
Watch his story on GMA Synergy's 'Rise Up Stronger: The Road to NCAA Season 96' every weekday (2:45 p.m.), Saturdays (4:30 p.m.), and Sundays (5:05 p.m.) on GTV.
—Bea Micaller/JMB, GMA News
