The Leaping Vault

    Amid the cheers in basketball courts and boxing rings, one name quietly carved its place in Philippine sports history—EJ Obiena. Unlike the usual household sporting icons, his rise to greatness was not fueled by popularity but by pure, unwavering determination. In a country where pole vaulting was once in the shadows, he defied the odds, vaulting over every hurdle—both literal and figurative—to become Asia’s finest in the sport.

    EJ Obiena was not born into luxury. He was born into a family of athletes, but hereditary alone was never enough. His early years were troubled by the reality that pole vaulting was an expensive sport, and in a country where athletic funding was almost never enough, it was an uphill climb. Training facilities were limited, proper poles were hard to come by, and every snapped pole meant another dent in an already stretched budget. For many, these struggles would have been enough reason to quit, but EJ was not just any athlete—he was a Filipino. And if there was one thing Filipinos knew how to do, it was to fight against all odds.

    There were moments when it seemed like the skies were against him. An ACL tear threatened to end his career before it even took off. Recovery was hellish, the pain a constant poking fiend, but he pushed forward. Every vault became a battle between his body’s limits and his mind’s determination. When others doubted if he could come back stronger, he did not just prove them wrong—he soared higher than ever before. Yet, even after etching his name in the world stage—becoming the first Asian to clear the incredible six-meter mark—he found himself battling a different kind of setback: bureaucracy. Instead of celebration, he faced funding controversies that threatened his training and Olympic dreams. But the Filipino never backs down from a challenge. EJ faced it head-on, letting his achievements do the talking.

    Today, as he continues to push the limits of human flight, EJ Obiena is more than just a pole vaulter. He is a symbol of resilience, a testament to the Filipino spirit that refuses to break. And with each vault, he does not just chase personal glory—he carries an entire nation with him, proving to the world that the Filipino can, and always will, rise.