12/08/2026
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๐๐๐๐๐๐| ๐๐ง๐ฏ๐ข๐๐ญ๐ฎ๐ฌ: ๐ ๐๐ก๐๐ฆ๐ฉ๐ข๐จ๐ง'๐ฌ ๐๐ญ๐จ๐ซ๐ฒ ๐ฐ๐ข๐ญ๐ก ๐๐๐ซ ๐๐ซ๐ง๐ข๐ฌ ๐๐ญ๐ข๐๐ค๐ฌ
โ๐๐ต ๐ธ๐ฐ๐ฏ'๐ต ๐ฉ๐ถ๐ณ๐ต ๐ต๐ฐ ๐ต๐ณ๐บ. ๐ ๐ด๐ต๐ข๐ณ๐ต๐ฆ๐ฅ ๐ข๐ด ๐ข ๐ธ๐ฆ๐ข๐ฌ ๐ญ๐ช๐ต๐ต๐ญ๐ฆ ๐จ๐ช๐ณ๐ญ ๐ธ๐ฉ๐ฐ ๐ฌ๐ฏ๐ฆ๐ธ ๐ฏ๐ฐ๐ต๐ฉ๐ช๐ฏ๐จ, ๐ข๐ฏ๐ฅ ๐ต๐ฐ๐ฅ๐ข๐บ ๐ ๐ด๐ต๐ข๐ฏ๐ฅ ๐ข๐ด ๐ข ๐ด๐ต๐ณ๐ฐ๐ฏ๐จ ๐ธ๐ฐ๐ฎ๐ข๐ฏ.โThese words perfectly capture the journey of Nathalie Balajadia, a Grade 12 HUMSS student of La Paz National High School whose passion, perseverance, and faith have transformed her into one of the school's proudest arnis athletes.
Inspired by her father and siblings, Nathalie stepped into the world of arnis at the age of six. Watching her older siblings compete sparked her interest, while her father encouraged her to give the sport a try. Although stepping into training for the first time was intimidating, the joy she found alongside her teammates inspired her to stay.
The journey, however, was far from easy. Nathalie struggled with physically demanding training sessions and constant self-doubt. One of the toughest parts of her preparation involved acrobatic drills and mastering the 540 kick, a move that required explosive power and precise body control. She maintained a strict competition weight, practiced every evening, and relied on the guidance of her teammates.
There were moments when exhaustion pushed her to the point of wanting to quit, but her father, who also serves as one of her trainers, constantly reminded her to believe in her abilities. Her teammates also became her source of strength, encouraging her to keep going.
Before that milestone, Nathalie won the silver medal at the 2023 Batang Pinoy in Manila. While it was not the gold medal she had hoped for, the experience taught her humility and strengthened her resolve to keep improving.
Her dedication paid off when she captured the gold medal at the 2024 Regional Meet, earning a place in the Palarong Pambansa.
Inspired by her older brother, Nathaniel, Nathalie dreams of winning a gold medal at the Palarong Pambansa and becoming the first woman to perform an aerial routine in an arnis competition in Western Visayas. More than achieving personal success, she hopes to inspire young athletes to believe in themselves and never be afraid to take the first step.
Despite balancing academics and athletics, Nathalie continues to trust the process through discipline, effective time management, and a positive mindset.
For Nathalie, arnis is more than a sportโit is her second home. It is where she discovered her strength, built lasting friendships, and grew into the disciplined, humble, and resilient person she is today.
August 6, 2026, was when Nathalie competed in Manila for the PEKAF National Battle of the Champions, where she won gold. Nathalie was overjoyed with her accomplishment, and the game was challenging but at the same time a thrilling experience for her. She believes that this achievement might be a stepping stone to being part of the national team and a chance to compete in the sea games.
To make this triumph possible, she carefully balanced her academic workload and practice sessions to avoid too much pressure. She trained rigorously for this competition, until she was confident enough to win.
โ๐ ๐ค๐ฉ๐ข๐ฎ๐ฑ๐ช๐ฐ๐ฏโ๐ด ๐ฑ๐ฐ๐ธ๐ฆ๐ณ ๐ช๐ด ๐ฏ๐ฐ๐ต ๐ฎ๐ฆ๐ข๐ด๐ถ๐ณ๐ฆ๐ฅ ๐ฃ๐บ ๐ง๐ฐ๐ณ๐ค๐ฆ, ๐ฃ๐ถ๐ต ๐ฃ๐บ ๐ฑ๐ข๐ต๐ช๐ฆ๐ฏ๐ค๐ฆ ๐ข๐ฏ๐ฅ ๐ฑ๐ฆ๐ณ๐ด๐ฆ๐ท๐ฆ๐ณ๐ข๐ฏ๐ค๐ฆ,โNathalie stated.
More than the medals she has earned, Nathalie hopes to leave behind a meaningful legacy. She wants to be remembered as the woman who first performed an aerial routine in an arnis competition in Western Visayas, proving that women can continue to push the boundaries of the sport.
After all, Nathalie's story is proof that every champion begins as a beginner. Living by her favorite word, Invictusโmeaning unconqueredโshe reminds us that no dream is too big for those who refuse to give up.
โ๏ธ: Renzel Grace P. Glumalid and Viency Caldo
๐ผ๏ธ: Ella Marie Pasaporte
๐ธ: Precious Cattmiere Miranda, Shantal Vistal and Edralin Joy Apurado
