Growing up, I have always been a fan of sports, especially basketball. Being a male-dominant sport, there were always challenges - getting picked last at scrimmages, or even worse, not being allowed to play at all because "basketball is for boys ONLY." Today, I am happy to report that there has been a lot of momentum towards equality in sports, all thanks to the men and women who continually challenge gender stereotypes and biases.
Over the years, I have surrounded myself with like-minded women who aim to close this gender gap. Non-profit organizations like Girls Got Game Ph is one organization which I am proud to be a part of - empowering young girls through sports, on and off the court. Pre-pandemic, we held 2-day sports clinics to teach young girls from underprivileged communities in the Philippines the importance of discipline, hard work, teamwork, confidence, and grit not only in sports, but also in life.
We have come a long way, but there is still a lot of work to be done to close the gender gap in general and in sports. And I pledge to make more advocates whenever and wherever I can.