Joanie Delgaco shifts from spiking to rowing for her historic Olympic stint

As the Philippines marks its 100th year of participation in the Olympics, the country will celebrate a new first as Joanie Delgaco becomes the first female rower from the country who will compete in the Summer Games.

Delgaco qualified for the Games after she finished fourth in the women's single sculls finals of the World Rowing Asian and Oceanian Qualification Regatta in Korea.

"Sobrang nao-overwhelm ako kasi nakapasok na ako sa Olympics for third attempt na pag-try. Nabigyan ako ng chance na mag-represent ng Philippines," Delgaco said during an event for Olympians by the Philippine Airlines.

[I'm so overwhelmed because I was able to get into the Olympics on my third attempt to try. I was given the chance to represent the Philippines.]

However, rowing was not actually her first sport.

Change court

Delgaco was actually a volleyball player before finding herself on a boat. She even competed in the Palarong Pambansa for the said sport.

However, she found herself lost.

"Nu'ng una, hindi ko po talaga nakikita 'yung sarili ko sa rowing kasi 'yun nga po, ang tagal ko talaga sa volleyball. 'Yun po, nung nasa volleyball ako, parang doon ko po nakita na parang hindi ako rito sa sport na't," Delgaco recalled on 'Game On: The Podcast' citing the stiff competition in volleyball.

[At first, I didn't see myself in rowing because I played volleyball so long. I was in volleyball and that's the sport where I saw myself.]

However, at 17 years old, Delgaco found her way leaving Bicol and landing in Manila in the hopes of being a national athlete and helping her family eventually.

"Dati po nangangarap lang po talaga ako. So 'yun po, nu'ng nakapasok na ako sa team, pinahalagahan ko po talaga na sa mga training pa lang talaga, du'n seryoso talaga ako araw-araw," she said.

[I used to just aspire to it. So when I was able to get into the national team, I really valued it, even in training, I took it very seriously.]

Delgaco trained for 10 months before becoming part of the national rowing team.

Rowing to victory

Delgaco's journey might not always have been smooth sailing, but she eventually found her way to victory.

In 2019, Delgaco won the gold medal in the Southeast Asian Games here in the country for lightweight double sculls.

In Hanoi, three years later, she claimed silver in single sculls. In Cambodia, she bagged bronze medals in quadruple sculls and lightweight quadruple sculls.

She also won gold in the 2023 Asian Rowing Beach Sprint Championships in mixed rowing.

And now, she is days away from sports' biggest stage.

"Nung una po, nung nanalo ako, 'di ako makatulog kasi sabi ko, ito na ba talaga yung dream ko, natuloy na yung pangarap ko na dating pinapangarap ko," Delgaco said.

"Sobrang saya kasi ako ang unang babaeng nakapasok sa rowing," she added.

"Sabi po nila, 'yung mga paghihirap daw po, nagbunga na talaga."

[When I won at first, I wasn't able to sleep because I was thinking, is my dream coming true, the dreams that I was just hoping for before. I'm so happy because I'm the first woman to qualify in rowing. They said, all of my hard work, it has bore fruit.]

Although her expectations are tempered as she goes against a tough field that includes Tokyo gold medalist Emma Twigg of New Zealand, silver medalist Hanna Prakatsen who now represents Uzbekistan, and bronze medalist Magdalena Lobnig of Austria, Delgaco said she still wants to learn all she can in these Games.

"Excited ako kasi makakalaban ko 'yung malalakas talaga na lalaro sa Olympics," she said.

"'Di man ako mag-medal sa Olympics, at least may matutunan ako."

[I'm excited to go up against the strong competitors who will be in the Olympics. Even if I don't win a medal in the Olympics, at least I can learn.]

—JMB, GMA Integrated News