Anxiety nearly forced Asiad gold medalist Annie Ramirez to tap out

MANILA, Philippines – Overcoming anxiety was important to Annie Ramirez in her journey to the ju-jistu gold medal in the recently concluded 19th Asian Games. 

Ramirez, who opened up about her bout with anxiety after winning the gold medal in the Hangzhou Asian Games, said that it was a necessary roadblock to hurdle to become one of Asia's best ju-jitsu fighters.

She said that she experienced anxiety when she bowed out of the competition in her first match.

“It was really hard. Because during training, I was crying a lot after that Asian Games. I was crying hard when I was being submitted by my coach,” Ramirez told reporters in Filipino on Sunday night. 

“If I did not recognize it, maybe the downward spiral continued. So it was a good thing that I accepted that something was not right in my mental [health] that time,” she added. 

Ramirez, a former two-time UAAP most valuable player for the UST Lady Judokas, said that she acknowledged needing to heal herself first before going into other prestigious competitions. 

“I skipped the World Championships back then in Sweden. Even if it was a really cool place to go to, because I have never been there. But I did not need that. I needed to heal myself so I can go on,” she said. 

“If I did not get past that part, I do not think I will be able to get to where I am now,” she added. 

For now, Ramirez will take a small break before preparing for competitions next year. 

With these, Ramirez said that the Filipinos’ strong suit for ju-jitsu is its resilience. 

Mainly, because Filipinos fight back and bounce back from those experiences, she reiterated. 

“We have a lot of struggles, but we are able to get through it. We bounce back from those experiences,” she said. 

And, with her and teammate Meggie Ochoa’s gold medal finishes for ju-jitsu, she is hoping that more Filipinos will recognize the sport. 

“This time, with the bigger event of the Asian Games, may this be a way or stepping stone for our sport to be recognized more,” she added.