Competitiveness helps taekwondo jin Vern Domingo adjust to Survivor Philippines

MANILA, Philippines – Veronica Domingo walked into the interview room and it took a while for GMANews.TV to reconcile two images of the Survivor-Philippines castaway – the one people were used to seeing on television (roughed up, tank-topped and gamed-faced) and the one that made her way to the seat in front of the interviewer and asked what the conversation was all about (refreshing, curled up and dyed and runway-ready). “Tungkol saan po ang interview na ito?" she smiled, probably expecting a lifestyle chat. Now, it was even harder to bring up the agenda. “Your history with taekwondo?" “Ah, okay." Veronica has the looks, the smarts, and the guts to get the job done in show business. Her history in a previous, seemingly different life – in sports – point to that. In sports, she has learned to adapt to any adverse situation – from the time she set aside taekwondo for volleyball early in her life because it suited her family’s financial conditions, to the time a major injury forced her much later to re-align her priorities and turn from taekwondo varsity star to coach. In sports, she has overcome obstacles – from the time she endured the pounding and the beating when she shifted from volleyball to taekwondo, to the time she was the pretty lass who took only two years to wear a black belt. In sports, she has won in every level. From being a two-time Southeast Asian Games lightweight champion (2001, ’03), a one-time silver medalist (2005), and two-time bronze winner (1999, 2007), to being a two-time Asian Games veteran (where she won bronze in 2002 and ’06). Veronica’s love affair with taekwondo undoubtedly prepared her for the rigors of Survivor-Philippines. She said she hopes it’ll serve her in good stead as well once she steps into show business. “Sa taekwondo kasi tinuturo ’yung focus, determination, perseverance para manalo," said Veronica, currently the FEU varsity head coach. “Kahit alam mong pagod na pagod ka na, nahihirapan ka na, kailangan mind over matter." GMANews.TV: Kamusta ’yung transition mo from sports to showbiz? Vern: Medyo malaki ang adjustment. Sa showbiz, kailangan maging friendly ka. Kailangan i-recognize mo ’yung kilala nang mga artistsa. If not, baka ma-tsismis ka at sabihin nilang suplada ka. GMANews.TV: What are the differences between being in taekwondo and being around an entertainment environment? Vern: Dito (sa showbiz), kailangan ang pananalita mo maayos. Kailangan may finesse ka. Eh ako pa naman ang boyish ako. Sa training ko sa taekwondo nu’n, ligo lang, suklay lang tapos after nu’n, training ka na. Dito, you have to look good onscreen. Siguro ’yun ang pinakamahirap na adjustment para sa’kin, ’yung dapat girlie-girlie ka. Ako kasi sanay ako na naka-tsinelas, naka-loose na shirt. Ngayon kailangan kong matutong mag-heels, mag-sleeveless. GMANews.TV: Paano ka nag-start sa sports and when? Vern: Nag-start ako actually sa volleyball. Naging part ako ng youth team nu’ng 1995. Father ko at that time, nasa karate. Eh minsan kung ano ’yung ginagawa ng magulang mo, ina-idolize mo ’yun, “Ay, gusto kong maging tulad nila." Pero may mga monthly fees kasi na dapat bayaran sa taekwondo. Eh hindi naman kami mayaman so nag-stick muna ako sa ibang sport. Sa volleyball kasi, ang kailangan mo lang bola. Wala kang monthly fees na binabayaran. Natuto ako sa auntie ko maglaro. Tapos naglaro ako mula high school hanggang college. ’Yung transition ko from volleyball to taekwondo nangyari nu’ng may nag-training na varsity pagkatapos ng class namin – mga Chinese karamihan, kutis porselana. So sabi ko sa sarili ko, kung mga mestisa nga saka magaganda, nakakapag-taekwondo, eh ’di ako pa kaya. Du’n ako na-challenge.

GMANews.TV: Kailan ka nag-start sa taekwondo? Vern: January 1997. Third-year college ako Far Eastern University. GMANews.TV: What was your first impression of taekwondo? Siyempre, bugbugan ang sport na ’yun. Vern: Sobrang physical talaga ’yung laro. ’Di mo maiiwasang magkatamaan kayo ng siko, ng shin, ng tuhod, magkakaroon ka ng pasa. Pero nandu’n kasi ’yung enjoyment in what you to do. Lalo na kapag may big international events, dala mo ’yung flag mo, so siyempre masaya ka na iri-represent mo ’yung bansa mo. Sabi nga, ang daming naghahangad ng pusisyon mo pero ilan lang ang nabibigyan ng ganu’ng opportunity. GMANews.TV: When did you achieve a black belt? Vern: In less than two years since I began. Nu’ng October 1998. Tapos nu’ng 1999, nag-national team na ako. Sobrang suwerte ko at blessed na mabilis ’yung transition ko, ’yung progress. Siguro du’n umiral ’yung pagiging competitive ko. Nu’ng first training ko, sabi ng coach ko, ituloy ko na lang daw sa taekwondo kasi may future daw ako dito, sabi niya. GMANews.TV: I believe your coach was right because eventually you did succeed on a lot of levels. Can you talk about the major competitions you joined and what you won there? Vern: 1999 was my first international competition, sa Brunei Southeast Asian Games. Naka-bronze ako du’n, pero ’di ako naging masaya. Gusto ko siyempre gold. ’Yung next competition ko sa Brunei Open 2000, nakakuha na ako ng gold du’n. ’Yung 2001 sa Malaysia, first gold ko sa SEA Games. Tapos nag-gold ako uli nu’ng 2003 sa Vietnam naman. Nu’ng 2005 ’yung SEA Games dito sa Manila, silver lang ako dahil nagka-ACL injury ako. And then my last SEA Games was last year sa Thailand. Naka-bronze ako uli du’n. Nag-Asian Games din ako dalawang beses. Nu’ng 2002 tapos 2006, parehong time nag-bronze ako.

GMANews.TV: How did the ACL injury affect you? Vern: ’Yung ACL injury ang pinakamahirap para sa isang atleta kasi ’yung rehab, paiyakan. Sabi nga nila, once nag-ACL ka, end of your career ka na agad. Iilan lang kasi ang nakaka-recover du’n, to think na hindi pa ganu’n katindi ang technology noon. Tapos rare form pa ’yung ACL injury ko kasi ang tagal mag-heal. GMANews.TV: What was your most memorable moment as an athlete? Vern: Siyempre most memorable ’yung umaakyat ka ng podium, nananalo ka ng gold, may mga taong nagchi-cheer sa’yo, pinapalakpakan ka o naniniwala sa kakakayahan mo. Masarap talaga ’yung feeling nu’n. GMANews.TV: Did you think that your experience in taekwondo helped to give you the confidence to go through the challenges of Survivor-Philippines? Vern: Definitely. I think unang-una, ’yun talaga ang key kung baket ako kinuha. Iba-iba kasi ’yung mga character dito eh, ’yung mga personalities. Pagdating sa island, sabihin na nating kaya ko ’yung mga challenges kaysa du’n sa ibang castaway. Pero ’yung disadvantage du’n, dahil nakita nila na malakas ako, nakita nila ako bilang threat. GMANews.TV: Which is more challenging do you think – winning in taekwondo or going through Survivor-Philippines? Vern: Parehong challenging, pero ang masasabi ko sa Survivor-Philippines nakita ko ’yung takbo ng totoong buhay. Mas natuto akong i-appreciate ’yung mga bagay na meron ako. Katulad niyan, wala kaming food sa island. Siyempre dati nu’ng wala pang Survivor, tawagin ka lang para kumain pahirapan pa, nag-iinarte ka pa. Sa island, na-realize ko ’yung halaga ng pagkain, at overall ’yung grasya na binibigay ng Panginoon. GMANews.TV: Naisip mo ba na sa tinagal-tagal mo sa taekwondo, you’ll eventually be show business after all? Vern: Nu’ng bata ako, nagdi-dream din akong umaarte-arte, humaharap sa kamera, magmo-model. Pero naniniwala ako na pana-panahon din lang, na kung anuman ’yung hingin ko kay Lord ibibigay niya kahit matagal kang maghintay. GMANews.TV: This is an Olympic year and sadly, we weren’t able to win a gold medal again. Ano ang tingin mong dapat i-improve sa program ang taekwondo para makapanalo na tayo ng gold sa Olympics? Vern: Isang malaking bagay ’yung government support. Alam naman natin na may suporta, pero hindi pa rin talagang buo ’yung suporta lalo na pagdating sa financial. Alam natin na may nakalaan para sa mga atleta pero nabubulsa ng mga nasa gobyerno, na sana makakatulong sa amin pagdating sa pagbili ng pagkain, vitamins, para sa training sa abroad. Kaya lang ’di namin nakukuha.

GMANews.TV: Do you see yourself being active in taekwondo kahit mukhang nag-iiba na ’yung mga priorities mo at susubukan mo na rin ang pagpasok sa entertainment? Vern: Hanggang ngayon, nagko-coach ako ng FEU varsity. Kaya nga sabi ko parang everything happens in its time kasi nu’ng na-injure ako, down na down ako nu’n. Pero habang nagte-therapy ako, dumating ’yung offer to coach. Gusto kong magturo pero ’di ko rin ini-expect na ganu’n kabilis. Saka at least, nagbubunga lahat ng mga efforts natin dahil napapanalunan na ng FEU ’yung mga championshps na ’di nila napapanalunan dati. GMANews.TV: There are a lot of taekwondo athletes out there who are crossing over successfully into show business. Why do you think that’s the case? Vern: Siguro sa taekwondo, nade-develop ’yung personality mo. ’Yun ang nagbibigay sa’yo ng drive para pumasok sa ibang field. Nandu’n din ’yung confidence mo, nakikita ’yung character mo lalo na kapag napasok ka sa sport ng taekwondo. GMANews.TV: Marami ka nang na-achieve sa taekwondo and I’m sure a lot of people know who you are. Still, iba pa rin ba ’yung attention na nakukuha mo out of showbiz. Are you getting used to that type of popularity? Vern: Maski papaano, nakakapanibago pero nakakatuwa na nare-recognize ka ng tao. Kapag lumalabas ka, “Uy, si Veronica from Survivor." Siyempre, i-approach mo rin ’yung tao, maging thankful ka. – GMANews.TV