Bridging Legacy: Women in...

fromp 16|Herdedicationtowin is what pushed her to hold on tightertothecanesasshestabbed andstruckherwaytovictory She is the master of arnis, a range of weaponryfordefenseandcombat, and the Philippines’ national sport.Shebaggedthegoldmedal by showing her burning passion forthesportdespitebeingthelone female representative of the university in the recently concluded SCUAA She is Kiana Mamangun;sheisawoman.

She always believed that women should try despite their doubts andfears.

“A comfort zone is a beautiful place, but nothing ever grows there Don’t let your fear overpoweryou.Ifyouwereborn withtalent,whynotshowit?By doing so, you will serve as an inspiration to others. After all, sports is for everyone,” she emphasized

She also added that female athletes would learn to push their bodies beyond what they previously thought was possible Being an athlete develops women ' s ability to overcome obstacles, whether through practice or on the competition stage Coordination, concentration, awareness, and alertness are fundamental skills in sports, and those are all qualities a womancanpossess.

The Defender in a Dobok

Fully-powered kicks, overwhelming punches,andawell-builtdefense thesearetheabilitiesthatledherto victory Being involved in a martial artthatismorethanasportandan art,shesoughttoenhanceherspirit and life by training her mind and body The art of kicking and punching is a part of her lifestyle. Unbothered, despite being one of onlythreewomenrepresentativesof DHVSU in taekwondo, she set her heartablazewiththeartofdefenseas she clinched the sought-after gold medal at SCUAA in taekwondo's Women’sWelterweightDivision She isLykaDeLeon;sheisawoman Shesaidwomenshouldnotbeafraid of trying just because of gender stereotypes

“Havinga sportthat youare passionate aboutis something tobeproud of.Break the stereotype andnever letyour fears conquer youand turnyour dreamsinto whatifs,”sheunderscored Shealsoemphasizedthatwomenare alsocapableofdominating,regardless ofwhatsportitis,aslongastheyare disciplinedandfocusedonwhatthey want to achieve Those qualities would become the foundation of performanceinthetournamentand would greatly affect the results Courtesy, perseverance, and selfcontrolarethepillarsofawell-built passion

Asaformofself-defense,taekwondo is always about defending and not attacking.Itisasporttrulyfittedfor those with powerful hands that protectandsafeguard qualitiesalso fittedforawoman.

Most campaigns seeking equity in sportsturnedaspotlightonwomen’s placeinsports

As women showcased their mastery andskillsindifferentfieldsofsports,a breakthrough in new perceptions aboutpowerprevailedwheresuccess and excellence began to foster an imageofawoman

Theseempoweredwomenused their fame andsuccess for a greater purpose reminding each of us to embrace our womanhoo d Looking beneath, there is no roomfor discouragementinsports,andletting your voice be heard is power itself. Thus,women'spresenceinallaspects matters,andtheyarealwaysdestined tomakeadifference