Beauty, talent, and brains.

And now, heart.

Sporting beauties Paris Olympian Maxine Esteban and Capital1 Solar Spikers co-owner and 1Pacman Partylist first nominee Milka Romero made sure to keep the dream burning for the tracksters of the Olongapo City junior team by giving them running shoes for their upcoming competition in the 2024 Batang Pinoy in Palawan.

Bearing fruit from their common advocacy of giving back to the Philippines sports, Esteban, through her very own sports foundation, and Romero, through 1Pacman Party List, gifted a total of 83 pairs of brand new running shoes to the student-athletes of the Olongapo City junior team.

No less than the young student athletes, along with their coaches, came all the way from Olongapo on Saturday, Nov. 16, to receive the running shoes from Anta Philippines along with products and other giveaways from Rebisco and Akari in a short and simple turnover ceremony.

Rebisco and Akari have been supporting Esteban in her sporting journey. 

Having gone through their own adversities and challenges throughout their sporting careers — with Esteban as a Olympic fencer, and Romero, being a former football player — the two knew full well that having that support and little push could go a long way in achieving one’s dreams as student athletes.

“I think what pushes us forward as an athlete is that there’s someone that believes in us. Isang fan, ‘yung parents, yung coaches natin. Definitely, children are being developed through sports and we are only there to guide them and keep that dream,” said Romero who co-owns Capital1 with sister Mandy.

“Bilang bagong generation kailangan may foundation, may support galing sa pamilya, sa coaches, sa community. It takes a village to make an athlete. It takes a team. Wala ngang “I” in “team” so keeping the dream is a community effort,” she added.

And thus, the similar advocacy of helping the grassroots and becoming their support system.

“It’s really my advocacy kasi kahit naman di ako pinalad na marepresent yung Pilipinas sa Olympics, ipinangako ko talaga sa sarili ko na I want to be relevant in Philippine sports and really to help athletes here in the Philippines,” said the charming Esteban.

Of course, the Olongapo junior tracksters expressed their heartfelt appreciation for both Esteban and Romero.

“Nagpapasalamat po tayo. Malaking malaking tulong ito sa mga kabataan natin lalo na't ang mga kabataan natin some of them don't really have the means para makakuha ng shoes. Meron silang mga shoes pero not really fit for this kind of sport," said Olongapo City Sports and Youth Development head David Bayarong.

"But apart from the things na binigay nila ma'am Maxine and ma'am Milka, it's also the moral support na nakukuha ng mga bata na 'uy once in their life pala they are also in my shoes'. So nakikita ng mga bata na in the future, as long as I be good in what I do now, pwede rin pala akong maging si Ms. Maxine and Ms. Milka," he added.