Jia Kawachi

BY ALITHEA C. SORIANO

WHETHER SHE is on the mats or out on the field, Jia Kawachi (4 BS MGT) is a force to be reckoned with. The gymnast-turned-track-star vaulted her way through the ranks of a sport she was unfamiliar with, and quickly found herself on top.

The dismount

Long before her celebrated gold finish in the Women’s Pole Vault of the University Athletic Association of the Philippines (UAAP) Season 81, Jia was a highly competitive gymnast throughout her grade school and high school years. Not only did she bag medals in local and international competitions, but she also joined Miriam College Grade School and High School’s pep squads.

The former gymnast was at the top of her game, and many had expected her to pursue gymnastics in college. However, Jia had other plans. Despite her love for the sport, Jia had decided to retire from gymnastics right before graduating from high school. “I retired basically because of politics within the sport. Besides this, I was also getting taller and I [had] reached my peak age,” she explains.

As someone who has been a student-athlete her entire life, Jia had felt uneasy with her retirement. But, eventually, she managed to transform her restlessness into determination, just in time for college. Her new mission? To find her way back to the athletic scene. In her freshman year, Jia already had the necessary skills, attitudes, and background to pursue her goal—all she needed was a sport. so much to learn and work on still,” she says. “I was also thinking about [joining the Blue Babble Battalion] because of my gymnastics background, but I didn’t push through with it because I wanted a sport that I hadn’t tried before.”

In a “spur of the moment decision,” Jia found herself trying out for track and field, and the stars finally aligned. Not only did she secure a spot in the team, but she also joined an athletic event that would still make use of her gymnastic abilities: The pole vault.

Leaps and bounds

After finding the right sport, Jia faced a rough adjustment period that challenged her mentally and physically. “I struggled the most during my freshman year. Transitioning into a new sport was tough and required double the amount of effort,” she shares. In those moments of struggle, the pole vault star would go back to her “why”—to the reason she chose to dedicate her college years to track and field: “I really gravitated towards track and field because of the coaches and team members...Quitting was never an option for me because of the people who were always by my side to support me.”

This invaluable support system pushed Jia to find her rhythm. Though she showed dramatic personal improvement, Jia had consistently placed 4th in her first two UAAP seasons. This is no easy feat by any means, but having a medal standing just out of arms’ reach only pushed the athlete to work even harder.

She finally reaped the benefits of her training in her third year when she clinched the gold medal for a 3.20m vault in UAAP Season 81. To top it off, Jia beat her personal best score and was only 0.20m away from breaking the current UAAP Women’s Pole Vault record. In the same year, she traveled to Cebu for the Philippine National Games and ranked second among the country’s national team athletes.

With her undergraduate career coming to a stellar end despite the COVID-19 pandemic, Jia looks back at her experience as an Atenean athlete with love, and encourages the next batch of student-athletes to take heart and play with passion. “Although it may seem tough to be able to balance both academics and training, it is not impossible especially if you have the community of athletes there to support you every step of the way,” she says. “You will get to learn a lot about yourself and at the same time build special relationships with your peers. Always remember to take pride in wearing the Blue and White.”

After four years of track and field, the gold medalist faces yet another athletic dilemma, just as she did in her senior year of high school: Will she continue to pursue track and field or retire her pole altogether? Though nothing is certain, Jia hints that this may not be the last time she will step out on the field. One thing is for sure: Whether it’s with a pole or under the banner of a new athletic pursuit altogether, Jia is an athlete to watch out for. Jia