Southeast Asian Games gold medalist Jamie Lim knows what it means to balance joy and remembrance.

This holiday season, the 27-year-old karateka finds herself preparing not only for Christmas but also for the first death anniversary of her father, basketball legend Avelino “Samboy” Lim.

It’s going to be bittersweet as she celebrates all that her dad built upon while forging ahead in the international sports arena and her life.

While the feeling of Christmas reminds one about togetherness and family bonding, it, however, brings an extreme sense of loss, her father not being around during this period.

“Of course, it’s been an adjustment for me. But my mom and I are trying to work with it and just move forward,” Lim said.

“We try to honor him every day, so this Christmas won’t be different.”

Known for his high-flying basketball career and endearing personality, Samboy has also left an indelible mark not only on the court but on those closest to him.

His death on 23 December, two days before Christmas, had left a mark on the Lim family.

Lim recalls her father’s warmth and joy in their lives, especially during the holiday season.

“He would always give us stuff, all that and such and we’d just spend time together, just as always. We were really not living in the same place, but of course we would always gather together for holidays,” Lim said.

Lim and her family vowed to keep alive in the simplest of acts of remembering Samboy’s memories.

“We’re going to have a mass for him. My mom and I and our family are trying our best to still stay happy and live in his name and still remember him,” Lim said.

“I’m very happy with my family and my friends and everything. I’m also happy with my job and with training.”

“I just hope for everything to stay the same and to continue.”

Lim was there when she received her father’s Lifetime Achievement Award last January at the Philippine Sportswriters Association Awards Night and was even a muse at the opening of the 49th season of the Philippine Basketball Association last August for San Miguel Beer — her father’s former team.

Aside from karate, Lim also started her job at Scrubbed, a Filipino business process outsourcing company, as a data analyst.