Hergie Bacyadan will carry the name of her tribe and Team Philippines when she shoots for boxing glory in the Paris Olympics 2024. –MARLO CUETO/ART

Hergie Bacyadan’s journey to the Paris Olympics 2024 started deep in the northern part of Luzon.

There, in the heart of Tanudan, a small town in Kalinga province, the old folk speak of so many legends, including one of a warrior so bold and ambitious so as to challenge God.

Bacyadan’s goal is much humbler and nobler.

She wants to be the warrior who shines a light on her heritage using the global stage.

“I’m so proud of myself and my tribe in Kalinga,” a beaming Bacyadan told Inquirer Sports in Filipino, just weeks before she competes in the Paris Olympics.

“They have a ‘warrior’ that they can look up to who’s representing them in the Paris Olympics.”

Meet Team Philippines’ Hergie Bacyadan, who will compete in the Paris Olympics 2024 boxing competition in the women’s 75kg division

And Bacyadan has her tribe’s support, which will serve as armor—or more aptly, her boxing gloves—in France as she aims to bring honor to everything she represents.

“It [trust and support of her tribe] is a huge help for me and my teammates because they give us prayers and trust. I’m so proud to bring the heritage and bring not just my flag but my whole native culture in Kalinga.”

Not an easy road

Bacyadan did not earn her worth as a warrior merely by being born in a tribe steeped in such tradition. She proved it in every fight—and it hasn’t been the easiest road for the 29-year-old slugger.

For one, she wasn’t even expecting to be in the boxing events of the Olympics.

In fact, Bacyadan’s most recent conquest wasn’t in boxing.

Just last year in the 2023 Vovinam World Championships, Bacyadan unleashed her inner warrior to become the first Filipino woman to win gold in “vovinam”—a Vietnamese martial art. Before that, she was plucked from a different sport, kickboxing.

Just a year later, Bacyadan will try to do the same thing in a different setting.

“I asked my coaches to give me more focus because I’m just coming back to boxing after coming from vovinam. That time, I was adjusting. My fighting distance and positioning were just fit for the sport I came from, kickboxing.”

“I had to really adjust. I told my coaches to give me more attention and teach me newer techniques, how to counter other punches that could be thrown to me by my opponents.”

And Bacyadan has to cram her preparations, having qualified just two months before the Paris Olympics, making her schedule and preparations even tighter en route to the Summer Games.

Back in June, Bacyadan defeated Venezuelan bet Maryelis Yriza in the quarterfinals of the Boxing second World Qualification Tournament in Bangkok, Thailand.

She thus completed the Team Philippines’ boxing ensemble that will represent the country in Paris, including Aira Villegas and the Tokyo trio of Nesthy Petecio, Eumir Marcial and Carlo Paalam.

And of course, having huge names in the list such as Paalam, Petecio and Marcial brings pressure.

But for a warrior, what’s a little pressure?

“For me, that pressure’s normal,” said a confident Bacyadan.“It’s normal to feel it now but when I get in that ring, it’s a different [thing]. I need to accept that fact because it’s part of the fight. What I’ll do when I get there is to change what I’m thinking. I’ll focus on the opponents, how to beat them and win.” INQ