De La Salle Zobel stands strong inside Ayala Alabang, a well-known exclusive village, in Muntinlupa
And so, it wouldn’t be farfetched for somebody to think that Zobel itself is, well, an exclusive school.
That is exactly what 2019 Southeast Asian Games (SEA Games) silver medalist and UAAP Srs. and Jrs. star Sacho Ilustre thought when he first walked inside the gates along University Avenue.
“Ang pinaka-idea ko of Zobel dati was it was, parang, exclusive,” he told Migs Bustos in the latest episode of the University Avenue webcast. “But then, when I experienced the culture, hindi pala ganun. Actually, sobrang welcoming.”
So welcoming is DLSZ’s culture that Ilustre didn’t even have time to dwell on being the new student when he arrived on campus in 2014.
“Yung best friends ko po ngayon, sila yung unang kumausap sa akin first day ko pa lang sa Zobel,” he shared. “In-invite nila ako sa canteen and hanggang ngayon, best friends ko pa rin po sila.”
With his best friends beside him and his coaches having his back, Ilustre made waves in green and white, be it as a Jr. Archer or a Green Tanker.
That was the very same experience for another bemedaled tanker produced by Zobel in Nikki Pamintuan.
“I was recruited from Laguna in 2015 and first time ko po yun mag-dorm. Ang laki ng adjustment kasi away from family,” she recalled. “Dun ako nag-start maging independent. Dun ako natuto paano mag-multitask.”
Since her transfer, Pamintuan has matched Ilustre’s feats as a national athlete as well as a UAAP standout. While her family was, technically, just one to two hours away, she didn’t have to feel homesick that much thanks to the people inside DLSZ.
“Mabilis lang din ako naka-adjust thanks to my teammates, classmates, coaches. Until now, we still keep in touch,” she narrated.
And up to now, when she is already at the vanguard for DLSU’s swim team, Pamintuan keeps close to her heart the lessons she learned from Zobel.
“Zobel swimming is sobrang disciplined. Kahit morning training, tapos pagod from yesterday’s training, pinu-push pa rin namin isa’t-isa,” detailed the female tanker. “Naaalala ko yung team captain namin nung first year ko, talagang lagi niyang sinisigaw, kahit pagod na pagod na siya, ‘Guys, kaya natin ‘to!'”
Without a doubt, DLSZ’s holistic approach to education has allowed both Pamintuan and Ilustre to take on all challenges and come out on top, most of the time – with the helping hand of their teammates, of course.
“Swimming is an individual sport, pero yung training, yung journey you have to go through, you need other people,” exclaimed Ilustre. “That way, it becomes a team sport also.”
And wins in the SEA Games and the UAAP are far from the biggest splashes the two of them are hoping to make.
“My goal has always been to swim internationally. Ang ultimate goal ko po talaga is to qualify for the Olympics,” mentioned the 22-year-old male swimmer. “Sa Paris 2024, hopefully.”
Carrying the confidence instilled in him by Zobel, Ilustre is plotting to follow in the footsteps of Tokyo Olympians Luke Gebbie and Remedy Rhule. Carrying the confidence instilled in him by Zobel, Ilustre knows full well how to keep himself afloat – and even how to swim against the current, if need be.
—
The pasture isn’t always greener on the other side. In fact, it’s the greenest along University Avenue. Continue catching all our episodes on Facebook (https://www.facebook.com/delasalle.zobel) and also follow us on Instagram (https://www.instagram.com/dls_zobel).
