Obiena: Driving positive change with pole vault
AS much as there’s glamour in heaping medals, trophies and awards, Filipino pole vaulter Ernest John “EJ” Obiena has not forgotten what it truly means to be an honorable athlete, especially for a developing country like the Philippines.
With every run, jump, and clearance he does, Obiena said that he looks at his craft as a means to drive positive change, inspire the next generation of athletes, and as means of nation-building.
And for the world No. 2 pole vaulter, being recognized as the Athlete of the Year at the 2023 Philippine Sportswriters Association (PSA) Awards at the Diamond Hotel’s grand ballroom on Monday night, January 29, means that he’s been successful in his mission so far.
“For me this award suggests perhaps, in some degree, I’ve been successful in the mission not in pole vaulting but in leveraging my craft to help shape a better Philippines and I would say a stronger Philippines,” said Obiena, who was not physically in the venue but delivered his speech through a live Zoom call.
Obiena’s parents Jeanette and Emerson walked up the stage and received the trophy of their son, who’s currently in Italy training for his 2024 indoor and outdoor season.
Obiena, the first Filipino athlete to qualify for the 2024 Paris Olympics and who made the podium 15 times out of the 16 tournaments he joined in the outdoor season last year, explained his point in more detail.
“Pole vaulting is not really important, it doesn’t feed people, it doesn’t save lives like a fireman, it doesn’t help people like doctors or nurses. It definitely doesn’t teach children like teachers do and I’m only a guy who jumps over a bar with a pole,” said Obiena.
The Southeast Asian Games and Asian Games champ with record-setting 5.65-m clearance last year added:
“I would like to think of it this way — it’s not really a question of what we do but how we leverage that and how we create positive change. That’s always been a bit of an ulterior focus of mine, I view my profession as a means to an end. As a means to inspire the next generation of our youth, to strengthen the ability and talent of our country of course and as a means of nation-building,” said Obiena.
“Superficially, it’s using a pole to go over a bar but underneath it’s a very powerful means to inspire and drive change. I stand here, again, truly humbled by this award. Arguably, the most prestigious award any Filipino athlete can get, an award that I dreamt of getting way back in 2017 in my first PSA night. That’s why I really wanted to be there.”
While Obiena rued the opportunity to dress up, receive his trophy in person, and lead the total of 140 awardees in what is considered the biggest Awards Night in the 75-year history of PSA, he said that staying and training in Italy is what’s best for him as he gears up for the Paris Games in July.