Looking Sporty, Looking Good!

Let’s face it, not all of us appreciate sports, especially the lazy bones out there. But we stick on for the win anyway, right? So, in the tradition of Anna Kournikova and all her years of heartthrob reign in the court, come these athletes who deserve all the instant replays. So, look if you must, but keep your cool. Try to remember, it’s all in the game.

Kylene Campos
This girl kicks ass, and not only the flesh variety, but whatever shape, type, and category it falls under. And although she hasn’t been hailed as the official spokesperson for feminism of the new century, a nomination is well on its way.

Kylene Campos, although only 23, had seen a whole string of achievements in all her years. She took Management Engineering, the hardest course ever in Ateneo history, and graduated cum laude in 2000. She’s now a financial analyst in an internationally-known manufacturing firm, a seat once reserved only for men. Yes, she’s the brilliant darling you’ve been itching to take home to dear momma…after you keep up with her at football.

And that’s no easy task, be warned. Her knowledge of the sport spans not only the two goalies but everything that surrounds them.

She used to be a Wimbledon-disciple and a gymnast from age six until her freshman year in high school. Injury fractured her arms and so, during her high-school years at Poveda, she picked up the black and white ball and fell in love for the first time. And since hers was a school of feminine conservatives, there was no way she could establish a soccer team in their own schoolyard. So off the Poveda girls went on a field trip to the home-court of the boys, the Ateneo Football Center.

She grew very much comfortable with the Blue Eagle background that she went to school there. She also played as part of the university’s squad of kickers in the UAAP, which gained her a lot of MVP medals and championship trophies, earning for her an invite to be part of the RP team. But she stood pat with her priorities. It was studies over soccer. And now that she has graduated, she still finds time to compete under the blue and white banner. She, together with her Ateneo mates, bagged the Nike Futsal Cup, an indoor soccer competition, just recently.

Being in the field of men, and equally hard-kicking women, Kylene still stands true to her femininity. Lately, she let her hair down for a Pantene commercial, although she had some difficulty with the commercial’s Taglish tag-line. "They wanted me to say, ‘mas softer ang buhok ko’ and I kept on saying ‘much softer and buhok ko. What can I do? It was confusing." But then again, beautiful hair she’s got, free from the athlete must-have pony-tail restrictions, to match her incredibly fine features.

A balance mix of sweet and spice and yin and yang, Kylene Campos is a true woman of the highest esteem and achievement. But hey, you’re still warned—you know what she’s capable of. One wrong move and the target is set on your rear.

What is your greatest achievement as an athlete?
I always smile when I remember being invited to play for the RP team, though I never got to push through with it...too hard coping with school and then work.

What makes an athlete?
Discipline, perseverance, and a whole lot of heart!

What breaks an athlete?
1) Over-confidence. 2) Not having the ability to push yourself to the limit, which makes you a no-drive person. 3) No discipline.

What’s your main motivation?
Just being able to play is motivation enough for me. But of course, constantly trying to challenge myself is a motivating force. Teammates also always play a big role in keeping me motivated.

What have you learned most from the sport?
I’ve learned that you win some, and you lose some, but the most important is what you get from each and every experience.

If you were to choose between being the world’s most gorgeous girl or being the world’s best athlete, which would you choose?
I would definitely choose to be the world’s best athlete! Being good-looking is a matter of genetics and a probable equal amount of chance. It takes a lot more than that to be the world’s best athlete. It takes the ability not to give up when the mind is telling you it’s a physical impossibility. I can’t even begin to enumerate the amount of character that is needed to be the world’s best athlete.

What’s your break from all the stress and strain?
More sports! Honestly, sports is my stress relief from the everyday world—from work, from school. But a good massage is always welcome.

When’s the finish line for you?
Never, I hope! Sports is something that I always want to be involved in. If I can’t be involved in it as an athlete in the future, I hope that I can still work for sports development in the country. It’s something that I really believe in.

How would you encourage others to get into sports?
I’ll say what I love about sports. First of all, it’s fun! And once you’ve had enough fun to know that you want to pursue it further, it becomes much more than that. Sports is a different kind of dance. Its hard work, but once you get the "beat" it becomes an expression. I love the way the ball feels on my feet. I love the sound of a good, solid kick. I love the connection I feel with my teammates after a good pass or play. These things…they’re enough for me.

(To be continued)