Nothing can dampen the never-say-die attitude of fencer Maxine Esteban from achieving her ultimate goal of becoming an Olympian.
She has faced a couple of roadblocks in the past, including a career-threatening injury and the need to switch federations with Ivory Coast, but the 23-year-old Esteban soldiered on to eventually clinch a ticket to the 2024 Paris Olympics.
“I am at a loss for words,” Esteban said moments after her Olympic qualification was formalized. “This journey is truly a testimony of God’s faithfulness... For all the second chances, opened windows, miraculous feats and generous provisions, thank you Heavenly Father.”
After competing at the 2024 Absolute Fencing Gear FIE Foil Grand Prix in Washington, United States last month, Esteban was able to collect enough ranking points to clinch the lone African singles spot in the women’s foil event.
It was a historic feat as she became the first homegrown Filipino fencer to earn an Olympic berth.
The journey to where she is now is not for the faint-hearted, and not uncommon for those determined to step into the grandest stage in sports. She started fencing at 11 years old -- a bit late compared to her counterparts who started at age seven or eight, but she worked her way up to catch up.
“I tried many sports before: swimming, taekwondo, ice skating and badminton. Although I excelled in all of them, I really did not enjoy them much,” Esteban recalled.
It was when she saw the 1998 film “The Parent Trap” that she got curious about fencing.
“I was drawn to the fencing scene (in the movie). It really inspired me. So I asked my parents to enroll me at the Xavier School Fencing Club. It wasn’t a year after that when I actually fenced at my first local tournament. That was the beginning of my love for this sport,” Esteban said.
Her first tournament also gave her her first heartbreak, but that did not hinder her spirit to go on and try again.
“I lost badly in my first tournament against a then national team cadet fencer. The score was 15-1. I cried so hard after that. My parents got me a personal coach the next day, and after five months, I won gold in the local tournament,” she said.
It was the start of something fulfilling for Esteban, but like any other athlete, she faced countless setbacks that challenged her will and determination. She joined several training camps in other countries to hone her craft, won and lost tournaments here and there, and even suffered a freak accident at age 15 that required two major surgeries on her fencing hand.
“I was told that I would probably not be able to gain full grip of my hand, let alone fence again,” Esteban said.
Refusing to surrender her dreams, she worked hard for a year of rehabilitation. In the succeeding year, she earned one of the two spots in the senior national team, qualified to fence in the individual event and won a bronze medal in the 2017 Southeast Asian Games.
In college, Esteban competed for Ateneo in the UAAP and was even named Rookie of the Year and Most Valuable Player in 2018, and even led the Ateneo women’s fencing team to capture the overall championship. She also studied at the University of Pennsylvania, graduating summa cum laude in Bachelor of Applied Arts and Sciences Major in Leadership and Communications.
More mishaps came along as she continued to strive her way to her Olympic dreams. Apart from her controversial switching of federations with Ivory Coast, Esteban encountered another career-threatening injury by tearing her Anterior Cruciate Ligament (ACL) a few months before the Olympic season.
“My recovery was really intense,” Esteban said. “Because I really did not want to have any unnecessary downtime and I wanted to be back in shape at the soonest time possible, my parents saw to it that I underwent all treatments and therapies.”
These therapies include a round-the-clock nutrition program, physiotherapy and rehab exercises, plasma replacement therapy, thrice weekly Hyperbaric chamber and cryotherapy sessions.
She also did not waste time in doing lessons one month after her surgery, and fencing cadet fencers on the third month.
“Honestly, the only thing that was running through my mind was to get back as fast as I can. If I am not ready for the Olympic qualification tournaments, then all the efforts I put into this sport for the last 10 years would be put into waste,” she said.
To say that her recovery was nerve-wracking was an understatement, and Esteban admitted to thinking about giving up, albeit briefly.
“I think quitting crossed my mind for one second, but it was quickly brushed aside by my burning passion,” Esteban said.
“In fact, the desire to come back faster and stronger became more dominant. In my head, I was like, ‘No, I need to do this for the country.’ I focused on recovery, not the setback. Kumbaga, eyes on the prize,” she added.
The rest, as they say, is history, but Esteban is not settling on just qualifying for the Games. In fact, she has a complete program for the coming months in her campaign to make heads turn.
“Right now, my coach Andrea (Magro) is preparing my training for Paris. For sure, we will still continue fencing in all the World Cups, Grand Prix, zonal championship and the world championship. Then, if the schedule permits, we will join the French, German, or Italian Opens,” Esteban said, referring to her esteemed Italian mentor.
As she begins preparations for the Paris Games, Esteban is hoping she will not be the only Filipino fencer seeing action in this year’s Olympiad.
“I am praying that the Philippines will be able to qualify more fencers in April,” Esteban said, referring to an upcoming wildcard tournament that will be participated in by Asian countries that failed to directly qualify for the Olympics.