The MMA fighter is ready after battling cancer and dominating corporate

“The Apprentice: One Championship Edition” series promises an all-new reality TV competition experience that is different from the franchise’s other editions. For the first time in its history, the show gathered a diverse group of 16 candidates battling it out not only on business challenges but also on physical tests. At stake for the winner are a $250,000 job offer and a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to become a protege of ONE Championship chairman and CEO Chatri Sityodtong, who is also the host of the show.

Among the contestants, two Filipinos from Baguio City made the cut—Lara Pearl Alvarez and Louie Sangalang—both bringing inspiring stories to the show. A proud Igorot, Alvarez worked on her father’s farm during her childhood days. It was in her high school day that she first learned martial arts. At the age of 22, she became a single mother. While being both a dad and mom to her son is already a tough task to accomplish, she overcame all adversities to reach her goals. Now, she works as an accountant and trains diligently with the World Champions at Team Lakay.

Just like Alvarez, Sangalang also became a parent in his early 20s. A self-confessed angst-ridden youth, he got into so many fights and had an unhealthy relationship with alcohol. Adding to that, he was diagnosed with appendiceal cancer. After his life-altering cancer experience, Sangalang began training in mixed martial arts, where he became the undefeated URCC Featherweight Champion from 2003 to 2005. In 2005, Sangalang was a semifinalist on “Kamao: Matira ang Matibay,” the first boxing reality TV show in the Philippines.

In a conversation with Manila Bulletin Lifestyle, Sangalang shared more about his journey to corporate success, what was it like to be on “The Apprentice: One Championship Edition” stage, and a few tips on how people can turn their lives around for the better.

What inspired you to join ‘The Apprentice: One Championship Edition’?

I’m a mixed martial artist. I am a former MMA champion for a local professional organization. I’ve been following One Championship for quite a while since I joined corporate. I have decided to do a comeback in MMA after I unofficially retire early in 2017. I wanted to join One Championship first as a professional fighter. It didn’t quite work out, however, I had to run the North Pole marathon in lieu of my first with One Championship. When “The Apprentice: One Championship Edition” released its advertisement for people to join, I thought, this might be an interesting thing to do. Because prior to this, there is also another “The Apprentice” that was held in Asia. One of our Filipino compatriots, Jonathan Yabut, won that. I was very inspired to join this competition to carry that on and, kind of, live up to his footsteps.

What is your edge compared to your fellow competitors?

I have been involved in different industries in senior positions. First of all, the experience is there. Second, I’m a very professional person. I am able to separate the personal from the professional quite well. I think that is something that most organizations would like to have. It is hard when you have people that are, let’s say, easily affected by their personal lives and if it creeps into their professional lives. Third, I think I am a mature person. Being older compared to the other candidates, in terms of decision-making, I am wiser. I have a very varied skill set that I bring to the table. Most of all, I am resilient. As a cancer survivor, I have gone through so many things. As a person who competed in the MMA world and some who joined the North Pole marathon, these events have helped me build a tough mental resiliency, which is very important in succeeding in today’s corporate world.

What were the lessons you learned from your bout with cancer?

I had cancer at a very young age, at 21. At that time, I was a very unprepared father. I am a father out of wedlock and I am also a graduating student. I’m not going to be able to share my experience and mirror somebody else’s cancer journey. But, what happened to me, was those problems came all together. It was one of the most difficult times of life. The following year, I might not be there for my daughter or my family. Then there are also my other goals, to finish my studies, go out to the world, and make my mark. These are things that are very hard and challenging when it comes to my resolve.

What I did was, instead of giving in, I turned my frustrations into inspirations. They are basically the same thing. They should move you to take action. When I started recovering, I was out of the hospital and finished my chemotherapy sessions, I started going to the gym again. I became more active and involved in a lot of physical activities. To test myself, I joined the very first MMA competition in the country. Fortunately, my career went well. I became the first featherweight champion of the Philippines in that particular promotion.

What would you advise people who would like to turn their lives around?

The first thing I tell people is that you have to be willing to make changes. Second, you have to be able to make that change. You can’t have one without the other. If you want to become a manager and yet you are fresh out of college, the first thing you need to tell yourself is that you have to be willing to do what it takes to get to that level.

Unfortunately, a lot of people think willingness is all they need. Some of them don’t try to learn the skills. That’s where being able comes in. You have to equip yourself with the skills and right tools and education to be able to move up. As a professor and manager, my role is to bring value to the company or institution by helping others grow. Being mentored also allowed me to mentor people.

The third and most crucial part of it is that one should never give up. I know, it is a cliché, but you cannot let things get into you. It takes a lot of time to build that strong mindset. It is different for everyone. We don’t have the same journey. When you see others succeeding early, be happy for that person. As we say in martial arts, there are no egos on the mats. It is the same thing in life, there are no egos when you want to succeed. Seek help, try to learn from others, and put in the hard work. In our age when there are a lot of instant gratifications, we need to also understand the delay to be successful.

Why do you think diversity is important in the show?

I have worked with people from different parts of the world. Diversity is important because it enables me to look at things from a different point of view. What I do is I look at how they deal with problems. Second, I look at behavior and character. It is funny because there aren’t many differences. For example, you will realize that Americans, at least in the competition, are quite chatty, which is the same with Filipinos. There are good and bad traits. What’s great is that we can build a dynamic relationships with others.

Third, we Filipinos have a tendency to become very humble. We find it hard to voice out our feelings. It is part of our culture I guess because of being prudent. But the good thing here is when you put Filipinos in this kind of environment, they are encouraged to speak out. Most of us tend to work and work and work, then we want to be recognized because of that. Sometimes, we have to be able to toot our own horn. It is not a bad thing. It is also part of being humble. I think that if you put in the hard work and you show people that you can, you are accepting your capabilities. You are showing to the world that you can bring value. This is pride in a very good sense.

‘The Apprentice: One Championship Edition’ is now on Netflix and is available for streaming in more than a hundred countries. What do you want the global audience to discover about Filipinos through your presence in the show?

Filipinos are everywhere in the world. When I joined the North Pole marathon, at the very last stop, the farthest city in Norway, I thought there are no more Filipinos. Then there’s a community of them. One thing I would like other nationalities to discover about Filipinos is that, aside from that community that is well and known for being welcoming, accepting, and helpful, I want people to realize that Filipinos are world-class—and we are already.

When I say world-class, I mean it in terms of leadership and professionalism. The one person I can think of is Jonathan Yabut. He already exemplified that and I want to continue in showing the world that we can do it at that level. Someday, I want people to be able to say that he joined “The Apprentice” and now he’s running a world-class organization. And, hopefully, it will inspire others, athletes and mixed martial artists, to move on to the different areas of the business. To level up like what Chatri has done—to give a global audience to MMA. That’s something that I will be busy with in the future.