MANILA, Philippines – Love thrives on frequent floor.
For basketball participant Dalph Panopio, 25, and impediment course racer Kaizen dela Serna, 23, it’s their shared enthusiasm to excel and symbolize the nation — the 2 being champions of their respective sports activities.
Simply final December, Panopio received a Southeast Asian Video games gold medal as he helped Gilas Pilipinas defend its crown following an unbeaten run capped by a gritty 70-64 win over host Thailand within the finale.
Panopio delivered on his assure to get the identical {hardware} as Dela Serna, who additionally captured a SEA Video games gold medal as a part of the blended crew help quartet when impediment course racing made its debut within the regional showpiece in 2019.
“It was so humorous as a result of he noticed it in my home, my medal. He was like, ‘Oh, what’s this medal for?’ I used to be like, ‘Oh, I received gold within the SEA Video games.’ He was like, ‘In the future, I’ll get this medal additionally.’ He stated that earlier than he acquired within the SEA Video games,” stated Dela Serna.
“I like that he walks no matter he talks. If he desires to pursue one thing or he desires to attain one thing, he’s actually going to place within the work to do it. I like how arduous he works and the way he actually does every part to attain his targets.”
Panopio solely acquired a affirmation of his SEA Video games participation lower than two weeks earlier than the competitors because the nationwide crew scrambled to place a roster collectively because of Thai organizers’ flip-flopping on eligibility guidelines.
He proved to be serviceable, placing up averages of 6.3 factors, 3.8 rebounds, and 1.5 assists within the 4 video games the Philippines performed.
Being round Dela Serna, who as soon as held the ladies’s 100m world document in 2022 and earned bronze within the 2023 OCR World Championships in the US, has pushed Panopio to attempt for one of the best.
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“She was already successful quite a bit, so I used to be like, ‘If you happen to’re successful quite a bit and you continue to wish to win extra, how do you try this?’ Seeing that in actual life, it made me actually disciplined, and affected person, and hardworking. I believe that’s one thing that I actually admire, and I might say I copy from her. I attempt to be extra like that,” stated Panopio.
Bonded by adversity
Whereas the 2 have every carved out their very own successes, it was throughout one of many lowest factors of their careers that they cast a bond: whereas they had been each recovering from accidents.
Panopio, then coping with again points, and Dela Serna, who was nursing an ankle harm, met in late 2024 by means of a standard energy and conditioning coach.
“It was God’s timing. You couldn’t actually say that there was going to be an opportunity that we had been going to satisfy,” Panopio stated.
Dela Serna, who additionally fashions, shortly caught Panopio’s eyes. It didn’t take lengthy for the PBA rookie to make his transfer.
“I assumed he was pleasant. I didn’t wish to exit with him as a result of, , the stereotypes of basketball gamers. I used to be like, ‘I don’t wish to date a basketball participant.’ I used to be not likely as . However then, after I acquired to know him, he was good. So, I used to be like, ‘I’ll give it a shot,’” Dela Serna stated.
Relationship elite athletes comes with its personal set of challenges.
Their demanding schedules usually go away little time for leisure, with many spending most of their days in coaching or within the fitness center. Relaxation can be essential because the physique wants restoration to keep away from accidents and obtain peak athletic efficiency.
Furthermore, elite athletes need to take care of the fixed stress to ship favorable outcomes and face disappointment when expectations should not met.
So, for each Panopio and Dela Serna, it pays to have somebody who not solely acknowledges their struggles but additionally experiences them.
“You perceive one another by way of time,” stated Dela Serna. “We each know our wants. After I prepare, after I compete, he tells me, ‘Oh, it’s important to repair this.’ He’s like a coach as a result of he is aware of the essential information of being an athlete.”
“It really works each methods for each of us. And the psychological side additionally. I like how he motivates me and actually encourages me to push. He is aware of what to say in order that I really feel like extra motivated and extra impressed to win in competitions.”
When Dela Serna injured her shoulder throughout the 2025 OCR World Championships in Sweden and required surgical procedure for the primary time in her profession, it was Panopio who helped her navigate and courageous that unfamiliar territory.
Panopio knew how robust it was to go underneath the knife, having had operations for ankle and thumb accidents previously.
“He already prepped me mentally, like, ‘Oh, it is perhaps troublesome to return, it’s going to be a problem.’ On the identical time, after the surgical procedure, I bear in mind he was actually there for me, like helping me, as a result of I had a solid and I couldn’t transfer my arms, so he would feed me, he would brush my hair,” Dela Serna stated.
“That was actually candy for him to do.”
Typically, that’s all it takes in relationships — to be current.
“I understood it takes lots of time and sacrifice while you get injured. I had a sense that it wasn’t going to be simple for Kaizen to have a surgical procedure, particularly because it was going to be her first one,” Panopio stated.
“Seeing Kaizen in that scenario, I used to be simply making an attempt to offer her as many ideas as I might, like mentally, and be there for her as help.”
Because the couple have a good time their first anniversary in March, Panopio and Dela Serna method the milestone with extra maturity and a deeper appreciation for one another.
“Our relationship additionally had some ups and downs. The yr was quick. I believe the constructive factor about it, even when we had like down moments, we acquired to stay collectively and had the energy and the need to repair these issues and be there for one another,” Panopio stated.
And naturally, the hope is to finish up collectively.
“I believe no relationship is ideal. However what I like about one another is we had been in a position to stick by means of it, and we had been in a position to be taught from our errors and be higher folks for ourselves and for one another. I’m hoping that we final so long as we will – eternally, perhaps,” Dela Serna stated with a chuckle. – Rappler.com
