How Hockey Led Me to Cross-Country Skiing

2025 June 8th

If you had told me a few years ago that I’d be training for the Olympics in cross-country skiing, I probably would’ve laughed. At the time, my heart was in hockey. In fact, I was on track to join the Philippines National Ice Hockey Team. That dream felt so close I could almost hear the roar of the crowd, my name on the back of a Philippine Hockey Jersey and scoring a ton of goals!

I tried out for the team on May 8th.  I had a great tryout and made the team.  But then came the news: to officially be a part of the team, I’d have to live in the Philippines for 480 days. Don’t get me wrong, I love the Philippines and my heritage, but packing up my whole life for that long just wasn’t realistic. It stung. Hockey had been such a huge part of me.  I grew up playing roller hockey in the streets of Southern California.  I played competitively and semi professionally.  I would become a Team USA Inline Hockey Athlete competing around the world.  The only accomplishment missing was to play for my blood lines home country of the Philippines.

Here’s the thing about me though: I don’t sit still for long. I love connecting with people, networking, and seeing where opportunities might open up. So while I was navigating this hockey detour, I thought, why not see if there’s another path to represent the Philippines. Biathlon peaked my interest because of the snow sport aspect and the tactical skills of precise shooting.  Through some networking, I managed to get a meeting with Jim Apelar, the president of the Philippines Ski and Snowboard Federation.  We met the day after the National Team Ice Hockey Tryouts and we spoke a little about Biathlon but more about Cross Country Ski.

Jim was kind, welcoming, and honestly pretty gracious to even take the time to meet with me. He’d heard about my hockey background, and we quickly hit it off. During our conversation, I laid it all out.  I told him about my Olympic dream, how I’d been considering biathlon, but also how I worried the competition in that field might be too steep.

That’s when Jim leaned in with an idea that would change my life:

“What about cross-country skiing?”

At first, I wasn’t sure what to think. Cross-country skiing? But the more we talked, the more it made sense. It’s a sport that demands endurance, grit, and mental toughness, all things I’d built over years of hockey. It was different, yes, but it was also a chance to create history.

He told me about the first ever Roller Ski Asian Cup.  He explained how roller ski points count toward Cross Country Snow Qualification and how that can lead to the Olympics.  I told him, I love roller anything.  Then we talked how this could be a way that Filipinos can train on roller and build the skills to compete on Snow.

Jim saw potential. He believed in me. And in that moment, the seed was planted.

From hockey rinks to snowy trails, my path to the Olympics shifted in a way I never could’ve imagined. Now, the goal is bigger than just me: I’m training to become the first Filipino to qualify for the Olympics in cross-country skiing.

But here’s the thing: I had never put on a pair of cross-country skis in my life.

How do you go from hockey skates to skis? From chasing a puck to chasing Olympic history? Well… that’s where the real story begins.

To be continued.