A father’s love

As we celebrate Father’s Day, let us remember the sacrifices that our fathers made for us to become successful in our chosen paths.

Emerson Obiena, for instance, made a lot of sacrifices so that his son — Ernest John “EJ” Obiena – would blossom from a skinny kid in Tondo to the second-best pole vaulter in the world.

Emerson is no ordinary father.

He is a former member of the national track and field pole vault team, but his career was marred by frustration as he could do no better than a silver medal in the 1995 Southeast Asian Games in Chiang Mai and a bronze medal in the 2005 biennial meet in Manila.

His personal best was 4.95 meters — a mark that his son can surpass with his eyes closed. That’s why when his athletic career was over, Emerson faded into oblivion, working as a rank-and-file employee and, at one point, competing in bodybuilding events while coaching the national squad to make ends meet.

But he never lost hope.

Emerson dedicated his life to molding his eldest son into a pole vaulter. It all started when he would toss the young EJ into the landing cushion, unwittingly helping his son develop a sense of fulfillment every time his body slammed into the foam.

With his father as his guiding light, EJ dominated the Palarong Pambansa until he landed an athletic scholarship at University of Santo Tomas, making him eligible to compete in the University Athletic Association of the Philippines, the country’s premier collegiate league.

In 2014, a window of opportunity swung open.

Sergey Bubka, the world’s greatest pole vaulter, was in town to campaign for the presidency of World Athletics. Together with his father, the young EJ asked then-Philippine Athletics Track and Field Association president Go Teng Kok to introduce him to the legendary Ukrainian.

The plan to just take a photo and, hopefully, score an autograph turned into a serious discussion after which Bubka offered EJ a scholarship to the World Pole Vault training center in Formia, Italy with his father, Emerson, as his personal mentor.

With access to the world’s best equipment, best training facility and best coaches, headed by the legendary Vitaly Petrov, EJ suddenly had a fighting chance to become a superstar. The dream of his father of seeing his son compete against the giants of the sport would soon become reality.

It didn’t take long for EJ to improve. His leap of 4.19 meters while his father was training him at the Rizal Memorial Sports Complex and Philsports Complex improved to 5.01 meters. Then, he won his first SEA Games gold medal when he registered 5.25 meters in Singapore in 2015 before tallying a personal best of 5.25 meters.

Although he missed the following SEA Games in Kuala Lumpur in 2017 after tearing his anterior cruciate ligament, EJ bounced back with a solid performance in the 18th Asian Games in Jakarta until finally winning a gold medal in the 30th biennial meet in Clark with 5.45 meters.

He finally made a breakthrough when he qualified for the Tokyo Olympics after notching 5.81 meters in a tournament in Italy.

Although his Olympic debut didn’t go well as he had a forgettable performance of 5.80 meters for an 11th-place finish, the fact remains that EJ is now one of the country’s elite athletes, a golden reward for all the hard work, sacrifices and prayers of his father.

EJ eventually turned the 19th Asian Games into his personal stage as he clinched the country’s first gold medal with a record-breaking performance of 5.75 meters. Although he was already soaring past the six-meter barrier at that point, his victory still sparked a celebration as it formally cemented his status as the premier vaulter in Asia.

Now, EJ is preparing for the Paris Olympics.

He is no longer the cute six-year-old boy whom Emerson used to toss into the landing pad or the skinny kid who was learning the techniques of the sport. He is now Ernest John Obiena — the second-best pole vaulter in the world blessed with good fortune, a powerful career, a strong voice in the local sports community as well as the love, respect and support of the entire nation.

Still, there’s one thing that didn’t change: The love of his father. And it is something that will stay forever — even until the end of his legendary athletic career.

Happy Father’s Day!