Watsons just leveled up the game for women’s wellness and empowerment with their first-ever ‘Move with PowHER’ Forum.
This event brought women from all walks of life — whether you’re a pro in your field, an entrepreneur, artist, or community leader.
The vibe was all about celebrating grit, strength, and owning your wins while sharing stories, experiences, and motivation to lift each other up.
Real talk and real empowerment
The forum was packed with epic panel discussions, featuring women who were literally changing the game in their fields. Hazel Calawod, coach of Olympian Carlos Yulo, gave the lowdown on building mental toughness and physical resilience, not just for athletes but for anyone navigating life’s daily grind.
She had a clear message for those who dreamed of reaching the top in the world of sports: it took more than just talent — it took grit.
Her advice for athletes aspiring to make it to the Olympics or win gold medals went beyond physical training; it touched on the mental and emotional endurance needed to thrive in a highly competitive environment.
“You have to have grit, right? Sports is a highly competitive environment, it is no joke. Every day, you are going to compete with yourself, every day you are going to have to learn about your weaknesses,” Hazel emphasized. To her, the journey to becoming an Olympian was about daily growth. “If you want to be at that level, every day you need to constantly discover, ‘What else can I do? What else is out there? What else am I missing?’ You need to have a healthy form of perfection.”
Healthy
Hazel highlighted the importance of balance. While striving for excellence, she emphasized that it was crucial not to push oneself to unhealthy extremes.
“Healthy is the key word. Because at that level, to perform at 0.0001 percent in your sport, that takes a lot of dedication,” she said.
Success, according to Hazel, requires both passion and persistence. “That takes a lot of waking up even though your body is so tired, but you are very committed to what you envision yourself to achieve. You have to show up for your dreams, number one. Because you are the only one that understands what your dream is.”
She also recognized the doubts and challenges athletes would face. “A lot of people will say to you, ‘that can’t happen,’ or ‘that is too far-fetched, everyone is advanced.’ But maybe there is something you are missing there — your spirit.”
Hungry for knowledge
Another crucial lesson Hazel imparted was the value of being “coachable.” Athletes needed to remain open to feedback, no matter how intense it might be. “You need to be coachable. Because if you have too much ego, it is going to limit your ability to learn,” she emphasized.
According to Hazel, it was important to gather wisdom from others, even if the feedback was tough. “As an athlete willing to go on this route, you need to be able to pick little things from people so that it adds value to your dreams,” she advised. “If you are going to cap out on the learning ability... imagine this, there might be someone out there in a different country thinking, ‘I will just keep learning and learning.’ And you’re telling me, you’re going to limit your learning ability? Then you are not for the Olympics.”
In the end, Hazel’s message was clear: the journey to greatness was one of constant learning, humility, and commitment. “Keep learning about yourself,” she said, encouraging athletes to never stop growing, both in skill and spirit.
For those hoping to follow in the footsteps of champions like Carlos Yulo, Hazel’s wisdom served as both a roadmap and a reality check.
The “Move with PowHER” event was all about Watsons’ core mission — empowering every woman to look good, do good, and feel great.