Ashley Ortega admits being an Olympian is now just a dream

Before becoming an actress, Hearts On Ice star Ashley Ortega used to join local and international figure skating competitions. Like any athlete, her ultimate goal was to become an Olympian but now that she's busy with work, joining the Olympics is just a dream for her.

When Ashley was asked during her interview on the Updated with Nelson Canlas podcast about her dream of becoming an Olympian, she answered, “Ayon, hanggang pangarap na lang siguro. I think it's kinda impossible na, I'm so late, I'm too late to be an Olympian.”

She added, “If you're a figure skater meron talagang expiration age at ako expired na expired na.”

According to the actress, she was still 10 or 11 years old when she stopped competing, which would be the ideal age for her to enter the Olympics.

“As a figure skater kailangan at the age of parang 16 or 17 or 18 kailangan nasa senior level ka na. When you say senior level, thats the highest level. E ako 24 na ako ngayon, expired na ako,” she said.

Ashley clarified that it's okay to be an adult skater but it's a “different story” if she wants to join the Olympics.

She added that skaters today use a lot of different techniques from when she was skating competitively.

“They level up. So kaya nga ngayon 'yung mga new batch nagugulat na lang din ako pero 'yun nga, it's really hard if you wanna be an Olympian. Kahit sino naman di ba 'yung mga ibang Olympian natin, years of training, kailangan matagal,” She said.

Despite putting her Olympics dreams to the side, Ashley said that she still wants to skate as long as she can, and even revealed her goal to go figure skating abroad for fun and try skating on a frozen lake.

She added, “Actually, after 'Hearts on Ice,' I really wanna travel and when I travel I wanna bring my skate shoes with me. Para makapag-skate naman ako doon. And once you're a figure skater you will always be a figure skater.”

TAKE A LOOK AT SOME OF ASHLEY ORTEGA'S PHOTOS SHOWING HER SKATING PROWESS: