EYES ON THE PRIZE. Pam in her beach volley uniform aiming for a dig at the UST Sand Court.| Photo grabbed from Lastimosa's Instagram account
By Angelica Abello
FAST FACTS
Full name: Pamela Tricia Lastimosa
Age: 20
Birthday: September 23, 1993
Year and Course: 3rd Year Pre-school Education
School: University of Santo Tomas
UAAP Team: UST Lady Tigers
Playing year: Third
FAST FACTS
Full name: Pamela Tricia Lastimosa
Age: 20
Birthday: September 23, 1993
Year and Course: 3rd Year Pre-school Education
School: University of Santo Tomas
UAAP Team: UST Lady Tigers
Playing year: Third
Coming from a family known in the field of sports, a budding student athlete is slowly making her own name in the collegiate volleyball scene. With her deadly spikes and costly drops, this young lady sure knows how to juggle everything in her hands. From her studies and her passion for the sport she loves to her gruelling trainings and workouts, Pamela Lastimosa shares with Streamline News the secrets of living the life of a superwoman wannabe.
Clad in her school uniform, the bubbly 20-year-old Lady Tigress shows her enthusiasm as she sits down with us for the interview. Smiling with both her eyes and lips, you will never feel intimidated with her sitting right in front of you. One could never imagine how this young fine lady turns into one tough cookie when killing it inside the court.
Last name recall
At this point, you might be wondering if this volleybelle is related to the famed Lastimosa of the Philippine Basketball Association. The answer is, yes. Pam, as her friends fondly call her, is the niece of the former PBA player Jojo “The Helicopter” Lastimosa.
Stating the obvious, Pam admitted that having a basketball superstar uncle was a great factor on why she eventually entered the field which mostly favored men.
“My uncle was one of the biggest influences on why I ventured into sports. He gives me advices which were very helpful because he himself had experienced what it is like to be a student athlete,” Pam said.
She might have also had it in her blood the long strides and high jumps which her shooting guard uncle showcased during his PBA stint. Her athletic physique and skills are innate in her.
Clad in her school uniform, the bubbly 20-year-old Lady Tigress shows her enthusiasm as she sits down with us for the interview. Smiling with both her eyes and lips, you will never feel intimidated with her sitting right in front of you. One could never imagine how this young fine lady turns into one tough cookie when killing it inside the court.
Last name recall
At this point, you might be wondering if this volleybelle is related to the famed Lastimosa of the Philippine Basketball Association. The answer is, yes. Pam, as her friends fondly call her, is the niece of the former PBA player Jojo “The Helicopter” Lastimosa.
Stating the obvious, Pam admitted that having a basketball superstar uncle was a great factor on why she eventually entered the field which mostly favored men.
“My uncle was one of the biggest influences on why I ventured into sports. He gives me advices which were very helpful because he himself had experienced what it is like to be a student athlete,” Pam said.
She might have also had it in her blood the long strides and high jumps which her shooting guard uncle showcased during his PBA stint. Her athletic physique and skills are innate in her.
GROWL LOUD. This Tigress has clearly earned her stripes.| Photo grabbed from Lastimosa's Instagram account
Detours
“When I was younger, I used to play golf and tennis because of my parents. I also play the piano,” the well-rounded athlete said.
But upon entering Ateneo de Cagayan in high school, things took a detour for the younger Lastimosa. A friend of hers introduced her to volleyball and from there, she happened to fall in love with the sport she never thought she would be good at.
“Back in high school, they asked me to join the volleyball team mainly because of my height. And everything started from there,” she reminisced.
Belle of the ball
With the volleyball scene slowly gaining a larger audience in the country than ever before, this athlete gets a fair share of lime light. With three hours of physically-demanding trainings every single day, she makes sure to set a goal and aim for nothing less than achieving it.
Pam is a key player in the roster of the University of Santo Tomas Lady Tigers, the women’s volleyball team of UST. She is currently in her third playing year in the University Athletic Association of the Philippines (UAAP) for indoor volleyball and for the first time, Pam, together with the veteran Maruja Banaticla represented UST in the recently concluded beach volleyball tournament. The duo of Lastimosa and Banaticla ended their beach volley stint as runners-up to this season’s champions, the Adamson Lady Falcons.
Named as the Most Improved Player in the Shakey’s V-League last summer, the inter-collegiate volleyball league in the Philippines, you may have seen her spiking, digging, diving and hustling around for the loose ball on your tv screens.
Inside the life of a student athlete
Sleeping past midnight because of loads of school work and waking up at around 5:30 a.m. is no joke.
During the beach volley tourney, Pam had to wake up early for their 6 to 9 a.m. training. Attend her morning classes and then go back to training at 6 p.m. for indoor volleyball. That’s what our featured student athlete has to endure every single day.
“It depends on your class schedule eh. In the morning, we work out. During the beach volleyball season, we train from 6 to 9 a.m. After that, I have like one to two hour break and I use that time to take a nap. By 11 a.m. I need to go to class which usually lasts until 3 p.m. After class, I take a rest or a nap again before heading to another training, for indoor volleyball naman which is from 6 to 9 p.m.,”
It must be hard for someone as young as her to cope with such demands but like what other student athletes would say, time management is still the key in order to put everything in her hands.
“The best part in being a student athlete is you get to play for your school. Represent them in different leagues while enjoying the sport that you love. My least favorite part would be managing your time with your studies. It’s hard to balance everything. Mahirap talaga, [laughs]. Pero dapat tandaan mo na student ka muna bago ka naging athlete so dapat unahin mo pa din talaga yung studies mo,” the bubbly athlete said.
Eat and burn
Athletes are known to have a big appetite and Pam is one living proof of that. She told us that if she really wants to eat, she will eat her heart out knowing that she would burn those calories during her three-hour daily training.
“I do not have a strict diet. If I’m hungry, I will eat. But I always make sure that I lessen my rice intake. Usually, one cup of rice lang per meal. When you’re training, as much as possible you have to eat light like bread and biscuit. During the game naman, you should not play with an empty stomach, eat a light meal at least.”
She also shared with us that she can’t say no to the thick, cheesy and perfectly layered lasagna, the famous durian of Davao, not to mention that this lovely athlete came all the way from Mindanao - from Cagayan specifically - and Filipino favorites like adobo and sinigang.
She also said that she’s not a picky eater but she will always be in a state of war with the infamous and often hated ampalaya.
“Hindi ko talaga makain yung ampalaya. Ayoko talaga,” she said without thinking twice.
Back to basics
During her training which could be physically-demanding at times, Pam makes sure that she masters the skills that her coach is teaching her and their team on repeat.
“You should have a goal everyday and mine is to improve my skills. It is very important to have a goal to keep you motivated,” the determined soul in her said.
Much to her delight, all her efforts were not wasted. From being a backup during her first years in the league, Pam is now part of the starters for UST. The young volleybelle has clearly earned her stripes and became a true blue tigress.
Aside from her daily training both in the morning and at night, Pam also lifts weights and run in order to help her tone down her muscles and keep her fit and fueled for her training.
“In order to stay fit, you have to stick to the basics. Exercise daily and eat healthy foods.”
She also mentioned that her coach always reminds the team to try to stay healthy by eating healthful foods and eating at least three times a day which were again, the basic components of a healthy lifestyle.
What social life?
Sacrifice is a big word that this lady can fully define. An ordinary young woman at her age would love to have night outs in order to socialize and breathe some fresh air as a break from reality but our athlete cannot quite opt for that.
“Social life? We do not have one, actually. We cannot go out at night. During the day, your schedule is already full. You’re already tired from training, and then afterwards, you still have to review and finish your assignments. You should know how and which to sacrifice,” she shared.
Shuteye
A break from her packed day would be stealing some shuteye in the morning before her classes and in the afternoon before training for indoor volleyball.
“You would really allot time for nap because your night sleep won’t be enough to keep you energized for the day.”
When stress is slowly piling on her, she tends to workout instead of breaking down.
“I just try to look at the positive side. And I work out every time I feel so stressed,” she shared.
“When I was younger, I used to play golf and tennis because of my parents. I also play the piano,” the well-rounded athlete said.
But upon entering Ateneo de Cagayan in high school, things took a detour for the younger Lastimosa. A friend of hers introduced her to volleyball and from there, she happened to fall in love with the sport she never thought she would be good at.
“Back in high school, they asked me to join the volleyball team mainly because of my height. And everything started from there,” she reminisced.
Belle of the ball
With the volleyball scene slowly gaining a larger audience in the country than ever before, this athlete gets a fair share of lime light. With three hours of physically-demanding trainings every single day, she makes sure to set a goal and aim for nothing less than achieving it.
Pam is a key player in the roster of the University of Santo Tomas Lady Tigers, the women’s volleyball team of UST. She is currently in her third playing year in the University Athletic Association of the Philippines (UAAP) for indoor volleyball and for the first time, Pam, together with the veteran Maruja Banaticla represented UST in the recently concluded beach volleyball tournament. The duo of Lastimosa and Banaticla ended their beach volley stint as runners-up to this season’s champions, the Adamson Lady Falcons.
Named as the Most Improved Player in the Shakey’s V-League last summer, the inter-collegiate volleyball league in the Philippines, you may have seen her spiking, digging, diving and hustling around for the loose ball on your tv screens.
Inside the life of a student athlete
Sleeping past midnight because of loads of school work and waking up at around 5:30 a.m. is no joke.
During the beach volley tourney, Pam had to wake up early for their 6 to 9 a.m. training. Attend her morning classes and then go back to training at 6 p.m. for indoor volleyball. That’s what our featured student athlete has to endure every single day.
“It depends on your class schedule eh. In the morning, we work out. During the beach volleyball season, we train from 6 to 9 a.m. After that, I have like one to two hour break and I use that time to take a nap. By 11 a.m. I need to go to class which usually lasts until 3 p.m. After class, I take a rest or a nap again before heading to another training, for indoor volleyball naman which is from 6 to 9 p.m.,”
It must be hard for someone as young as her to cope with such demands but like what other student athletes would say, time management is still the key in order to put everything in her hands.
“The best part in being a student athlete is you get to play for your school. Represent them in different leagues while enjoying the sport that you love. My least favorite part would be managing your time with your studies. It’s hard to balance everything. Mahirap talaga, [laughs]. Pero dapat tandaan mo na student ka muna bago ka naging athlete so dapat unahin mo pa din talaga yung studies mo,” the bubbly athlete said.
Eat and burn
Athletes are known to have a big appetite and Pam is one living proof of that. She told us that if she really wants to eat, she will eat her heart out knowing that she would burn those calories during her three-hour daily training.
“I do not have a strict diet. If I’m hungry, I will eat. But I always make sure that I lessen my rice intake. Usually, one cup of rice lang per meal. When you’re training, as much as possible you have to eat light like bread and biscuit. During the game naman, you should not play with an empty stomach, eat a light meal at least.”
She also shared with us that she can’t say no to the thick, cheesy and perfectly layered lasagna, the famous durian of Davao, not to mention that this lovely athlete came all the way from Mindanao - from Cagayan specifically - and Filipino favorites like adobo and sinigang.
She also said that she’s not a picky eater but she will always be in a state of war with the infamous and often hated ampalaya.
“Hindi ko talaga makain yung ampalaya. Ayoko talaga,” she said without thinking twice.
Back to basics
During her training which could be physically-demanding at times, Pam makes sure that she masters the skills that her coach is teaching her and their team on repeat.
“You should have a goal everyday and mine is to improve my skills. It is very important to have a goal to keep you motivated,” the determined soul in her said.
Much to her delight, all her efforts were not wasted. From being a backup during her first years in the league, Pam is now part of the starters for UST. The young volleybelle has clearly earned her stripes and became a true blue tigress.
Aside from her daily training both in the morning and at night, Pam also lifts weights and run in order to help her tone down her muscles and keep her fit and fueled for her training.
“In order to stay fit, you have to stick to the basics. Exercise daily and eat healthy foods.”
She also mentioned that her coach always reminds the team to try to stay healthy by eating healthful foods and eating at least three times a day which were again, the basic components of a healthy lifestyle.
What social life?
Sacrifice is a big word that this lady can fully define. An ordinary young woman at her age would love to have night outs in order to socialize and breathe some fresh air as a break from reality but our athlete cannot quite opt for that.
“Social life? We do not have one, actually. We cannot go out at night. During the day, your schedule is already full. You’re already tired from training, and then afterwards, you still have to review and finish your assignments. You should know how and which to sacrifice,” she shared.
Shuteye
A break from her packed day would be stealing some shuteye in the morning before her classes and in the afternoon before training for indoor volleyball.
“You would really allot time for nap because your night sleep won’t be enough to keep you energized for the day.”
When stress is slowly piling on her, she tends to workout instead of breaking down.
“I just try to look at the positive side. And I work out every time I feel so stressed,” she shared.
