Another Obiena is making his own mark in pole vaulting.
Meet Matt David Obiena.
Matt, a digital arts senior at Colegio de San Juan de Letran, recently won gold in the pole vaulting event of NCAA Season 100 at New Clark City after clearing 4.10 meters.
His last name, of course, is familiar in the field of athletics in the Philippines.
Matt is a cousin of Olympian EJ Obiena who holds the Asian record in pole vault. His father Edward and EJ's father Emerson are brothers and are both in athletics.
Growing up with pole vaulters and track and field athletes around him, it was not surprising that he also tried the said sport.
"Firstly, because my family is there na, nasa line of sport na talaga. My dad, my uncle, my brother, my cousins," Matt told GMA News Online in a call when asked why he took pole vaulting seriously.
"Secondly, it's because it gives me the ability to fly — like the ability to experience being in the air and just flying, soaring high," he added.
The view and feel must be different up there.
"It's a different kind of feeling talaga na hindi siya mabilis ma-explain. Pero siguro the best way I can describe it is that it's a different way of flying," he added.
"It's a different way of flying. That you get better at everything once you dedicate your time to it talaga. So that every time you get to jump higher and higher and hopefully just break more boundaries with yourself. 'Yan talaga."
Matt's journey to the top took a while.
After competing in the juniors division, the COVID-19 pandemic put a halt to the tournament. In Season 98 when he was already in college, there was no pole vaulting event, although he also competed in athletics. Last season, there were some requirements which hindered him from competing.
It seemed like fate had other plans for Matt.
"The main reason why I got to play in the NCAA kasi is my coaches gave me the opportunity on a bigger playing field, representing Letran. Although it took me seven years to get it, I managed to win a medal, and a gold medal at that," he said.
"With a total of three years that I played for Letran, besides this year, the only time that I got close to winning a medal was nung junior ako na nag-fourth ako sa pole vault."
Competing in the same sport as his relatives, Matt admitted that there is also pressure in living up to his family's legacy.
"There's pressure on it for sure," Matt said.
"Though my dad and my uncle told me naman na I don't have to compare myself naman since we're different kinds of people. Yes, we're in the same sport or I try to be in the same sport so they try to lessen the pressure since iba-iba naman din ang timing namin, resources, and talent. So I just try to improve more and compete with myself to go higher and do my best with what I have."
Beyond pressure, his family is what pushed Matt to do better.
"I got inspired with my cousin (EJ). Every Filipino vaulter, kahit lahat ng mga Pilipino, na-inspire din ng nagagawa niya," he said.
"Pero I guess 'yung main inspiration ko talaga was growing up seeing my dad and my uncle training and competing. That made me want to also try the sport and try to go higher."
"Pero naging additional din na inspiration talaga is 'yung cousin ko. Kasi out of his determination to be the best in the sport is really there and he broke so many barriers especially not just in our family, but also in the Philippines and Southeast Asia and the whole of Asia."
With his newest achievement, on top of being a digital artist and a student-leader in Letran, is playing for the national team also a possibility for him?
"I'm actually still deciding on that," Matt said.
"Kakakausap ko lang din sa uncle ko about it. I'm not sure. I have different plans on what to do after I graduate. It's either, one is to focus on career na and another one is to go for a master's [degree] para makapaglaro pa."
"So in terms of the national team, at the moment I don't see myself in that situation. Kasi compared sa height standards na tatalunan for national team, I'm still not there. I'll just try to go higher every time."
—GMA Integrated News
