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The Protean Montessorian and Potential Olympian

JAN 26

obmc

By: Kelly Reese Martin, Angeles Campus

STUDENT PROFILE: Girvin Garcia (Grade 12, OBMC Angeles)

“Keep the fire within you burning. If you have the passion for your sport, do whatever it takes in order to achieve your goal.” – Girvin Garcia, 2022

Girvin Garcia, a young but promising archer, turned heads when he represented the Philippines during the 2022 SEA Games. Unknown to most is his versatility—with him excelling in matters of the bow and books. Garcia has been a model student to his peers—having been his batch’s sixth grade valedictorian and the school’s consistent scholastic representative.

He started archery in the summer of 2017, but it was only in 2018 when he joined his first competition. Yet, the road to success was not instant for him. It was in 2019, during the 13th Thailand Princess Cup Archery Competition, when he won his first achievement as the bronze awardee of his age division.

As a professional athlete, Garcia details the demands of his craft. He shares that archery is a sport that relies on muscle memory because archers must execute their form consistently and accurately: “Just a single acute mistake can cause an archer’s arrow to go from the 10 or bullseye to a 6 or 5.” So, multiple hours of day-to-day training is needed to perfect his form. He also expresses how tough travel schedules can be as archery competitions are spread out all over the country. According to Garcia, free time is almost nonexistent for him.

Transcending as an athlete and an honor student in Grade 12 at OBMC Angeles City can be a challenge. However, Garcia has discovered three key things that keep him motivated: perseverance, time management, and sacrifice.

He openly shares about his struggles of burning out due to the pressure and drive to excel academically and athletically. These struggles, as he recalls, were especially strong during the onset of the pandemic. But he persevered through the mental and physical trials with effective time management and personal sacrifice—specifically of rest, sleep, and time with friends.

According to Garcia, he follows a disciplined schedule. From 7 a.m. to 3 p.m. he attends school, from 3 to 6 p.m. he commits to archery training, and from 8 p.m. until midnight he dedicates his time to school work.

Garcia is the epitome of a student-athlete. Despite his struggles, he encourages young and hopeful students to try sports. He advises them to “keep the fire within you burning, and not to be demotivated when faced with failure.” Most importantly, he advocates faith in God. For him, God answers prayers in different ways. “Whatever it is, have faith and trust that it will lead you to the right path.”

If you want to learn more about how O.B. Montessori can help your child grow up into a confident, disciplined, and independent young adult, check out our website and give us a chat!