Superwoman

^{Photo courtesy of Trek Bicycle/Shot by Isa Halamani}

Ariana Evangelista is a champion many times over, in more races we’ve ever raced, and she’s also much more than that.

When we talk about success stories, it almost always includes a story of struggle. A winner’s tale is often made more meaningful by the trials that they had to go through to get where they are, the victory a result of literal blood, sweat, and tears– where they traded in their heart for that of a champion. Ariana Evangelista is royalty in that regard, and a champion by any measure of the word.

WHAT DOES IT TAKE?

Ariana is no stranger to hard times, in fact, most of her story is defined by it. What makes her amazing though, is that she refuses to let those times define HER. “Yes, I’ve struggled a lot,” Ariana tells us emotionally, “but I never let it hold me down. In the past two years, I’ve grown so much– I’ve stepped out of my comfort zone, I shifted my mindset, my outlook on life. It’s something that changed me OVERALL, beyond who I am as an athlete.” Yana continues, “I picked myself up because I love this. I love what I’m doing and doing it this way really opened me up to growth and to more opportunities.”

She tells us about how she has harnessed her own energy, to make things happen for her in a positive way, doing it the right way. “My support system is really, really great,” she smiles, “I want to share that with people. I know that a lot of people are going through difficult times too but they should know, that with a healthy support group, a better outlook in life, committing to change, you can conquer anything.” And conquer she has. We all know the multiple podiums, the trophies, and the medals; what we want to honor here is the greatness of her character as well.

It’s when you meet champions like her you tell yourself that this is a rare moment when talent, skill, and heart intersect. We won’t enumerate or even touch on the things that she’s gone through over the years, not only are they personal but they’ve also been talked about already, and I’m sure Ariana herself has in her own words, “moved forward” from all of that. “I’ve been happier lately,” she shares, her smile full and real, “I feel better about where I am now.”

DOING IT FOREVER

Ariana Evangelista famously went and competed at the UCI Mountain Bike World Championships in Les Gets, France alone. It was definitely an awe-inspiring feat and a testament to her bravery and her heart, but it also shone a light at the fact that our world-class athletes need more support, if at all. “I was just so lucky to be blessed by my sponsors who supported me,” Arianna recalls, “and even friends who didn’t even want to be mentioned at all, all chipped in for me to go.” She tells us that she really wanted to and had to go, to start it all, to get the ball rolling– to pave the way for other cyclists, other athletes, an “If I can do it, so can you.” She continues that, “I know I’m not going to be a pro athlete forever, so with whatever time I have now, while I have a platform and I’m competing, I want to be able to give back to the community.”

“There are A LOT of talented cyclists and athletes here in the country,” she says, “I want to just open it all up, to bridge the sports with the people who want to help, either by doing events or going to France alone to waive our flag.” She admits that it was intimidating and scary, but that once she was there, surrounded by all the other athletes, no one made her feel small. “I want everyone to have that feeling, that opportunity,” Yana continues, “because biking brings people together, it’s a sport that’s for everyone, it’s so relatable; we all bike here at a young age.” Her dream is that others follow, that they take the big, bold step to push Philippine Sports further into the global light.

THE QUEEN WE DESERVE AND SHE DESERVES

“It’s tiring to keep posting on Social Media,” Ariana laughs when we ask her about the balance between athlete and influencer, “of course I do it to update everyone, my supporters, my partners, but some days it’s hard. But just like everything, I move forward.” Ariana admits to us that she doesn’t really like using her phone a lot, she prefers to “be in the moment,” and you can tell that she does, she doesn’t take anything for granted. “I would rather rest than go through Social Media, I train everyday so I’m always tired,” she laughs, but she does it anyway.

“She does it anyway.” That’s such a repeating theme in her powerful story: she does it anyway. Hers is a narrative of battle, of wars and of scars, of hurt most would say no one that young should have gone through. But hers is also a legend of triumph, of leaning on a strength fueled by passion and love, of self-love, of rebuilding and rediscovering herself. She’s an inspiration to many, including to us. When we ended the interview, we asked her what she would tell her younger self, being where she is now. And true to form, as authentic as she is, she broke down before even finishing the first sentence. She asked us to message her the question and she’ll write down the answer, here it is:

“What I would tell to younger Ariana, which is what I would also say to young girls everywhere, is to just keep going. That you will be in a better place. Your future “you” will thank your younger “you,” BIG TIME, because you kept moving forward despite all the challenges. All the pain, all the hurt, all the heartbreaks, the success, the overwhelming joy, the small wins: all of that will help you be the best present version of you. And, you’ll keep getting better.

Choose to be happy and choose to be surrounded with great people who share the same energy and goals as you do. Yes, life can be experienced alone but you don’t have to. The greatest experiences in life are best when shared.

So hang in there.”

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