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Mara Aquino shows that aside from athletes, hosts, too, can make it to Olympics
Aside from the athletes and technical officials, another Filipino is representing the Philippines in the Tokyo Olympics, albeit in a different field.
Mara Aquino, a host and TV personality, is one of the announcers or masters of ceremony (MC) in the 3x3 basketball event of the Summer Games.
So what exactly does an MC do in the games?
In an interview with GMA News Online, she revealed that part of her tasks as an MC is to hype the crowd and set the energy and vibe — despite the games being played in a nearly empty-stadium.
Despite the challenge, she considers this as a unique experience.
"As much as possible, I'll still try to set up the mood as if thousands of people are there," Aquino shared. "It's a bit different, like I'll pretend that there are thousands of people there. But it's unique in a sense that whoever is there, we are the only ones who will experience this event. It's nice and intimate in a special way."
A former courtside reporter for the National Collegiate Athletic Association and the Philippine Basketball Association, Aquino was chosen by the organizers to host the 3x3 event because of her hosting gigs in the FIBA 3x3 World Tour.
"The last time I did the FIBA 3x3 World Tour was in Utsonomiya, Japan. The Olympic Committee was there, then they saw how I hosted, they saw how I pumped up the crowd," she narrated.
"A few months later, the Tokyo Olympics [organizers] sent a letter of interest and asked me if I'm interested in hosting the Olympics. So I was too excited, I was shaking. I thought, 'Oh my God, is this real life?'' Aquino recalled.
Little did she know that her hosting gig with FIBA 3x3 would take her all the way to the Tokyo Olympics.
"Never in a million years would I have thought that I would be able to be in the Olympics for anything at all. It was a great opportunity," Aquino, still in disbelief, said.
"I really can't believe it. If you truly love what you are doing and you do it excellently, even by just holding a mic and talking, you can go to the Olympics."
But apart from being a host of the Olympics, Aquino is also proud to represent the flag, especially in the event she is handling.
"Whenever I introduce myself to other people, I always say I am from the Philippines because I really want to let them know that we are also great at speaking. Others may doubt our English but no, I want to show them that we can. We will excel wherever we are put at," she added.
Aquino is glad that somehow, sports is returning back to normalcy after being hit by the coronavirus pandemic.
"I'm happy that the Olympics pushed through. It's sad that it won't be filled as expected, but at least it's happening. For a while, physical contact sports weren't allowed, so in a sense, we're going back to normalcy. People will get to watch it on TV," she said.
And her tip for those who also want to achieve something like hers? Just be yourself.
"Just be yourself because people will appreciate the real you. You'll never know, it might be the personality they are looking for," she said.
"Don't just change because others say so. You'll never know. I never thought I'd go to the Olympics holding a mic. Who would have thought that even if you're not an athlete, you can still go to the Olympics to talk?"
—JMB, GMA News
