Tag: Alex Eala

Before the medals, championships, and international recognition, many of the Philippines’ biggest sports stars first grew up watching greatness at home.

This Mother’s Day, the spotlight shifts to the athlete-mothers whose own journeys in sports helped shape the careers — and mindsets — of the next generation.

For some families, excellence was inherited through discipline. For others, it was built through years of courtside support, shared training sessions, and sacrifices away from the spotlight.

Long before Stephanie Mercado became one of the country’s top volleyball players, her mother Lydia de Vega had already become one of Philippine sports’ most iconic figures.

Known as Asia’s sprint queen during the 1980s, Lydia dominated regional athletics competitions and represented the Philippines in two Olympic Games before eventually raising a family while continuing her decorated career.

Stephanie later carved out her own legacy in volleyball, helping the De La Salle Lady Spikers win multiple UAAP championships before transitioning into broadcasting.

Despite Lydia’s fierce reputation as a competitor, Stephanie remembered her most as a devoted parent.

“Our mom was a super disciplinarian, but her love for us was incomparable,” Stephanie said in 2022.

In tennis, Alex Eala inherited not only athletic ability but also the experience of having a mother who once represented the country herself.

Before becoming one of the top-ranked Filipina tennis players in the world, Alex grew up under the guidance of former national swimmer Rizza Maniego-Eala, who won a bronze medal in the 1985 Southeast Asian Games.

Today, Rizza and husband Mike are familiar faces at Alex’s tournaments around the world as the young Filipina star continues her rise on the global stage.

“I want to thank her for being the amazing woman that she is and for helping me become the woman that I am,” Alex said in tribute to her mother during International Women’s Day earlier this year.

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Alex Eala has a special greeting to her mom and grandmothers on Mother’s Day | via @DYANCASTILLEJOpic.twitter.com/7Ft0VOZF5E

— ABS-CBN News (@ABSCBNNews) May 11, 2026

For the Ravena family, sports became a way of life.

While much attention has gone to former PBA player Bong Ravena, it was also their mother Mozzy Ravena — a former standout for the UST Golden Tigresses — who helped shape the competitive environment that produced Kiefer Ravena, Thirdy Ravena, and Dani Ravena.

As all three children pursued high-level sports careers, Mozzy embraced the demanding role of being both parent and constant supporter.

“It’s difficult but enjoyable,” Mozzy shared in a past interview. “It’s physically hard, especially if you have a job, you need to find time to watch their games. But the reward makes up for the exhaustion.”

Meanwhile, triathlon rising star Kira Ellis practically grew up inside the sport.

Her mother Doray Ellis, alongside husband Mark, immersed their daughter in the triathlon lifestyle from an early age — a foundation that eventually helped Kira become one of the country’s brightest young endurance athletes.

“We’re really addicted to the sport,” Doray said in a podcast interview. “Kira was born into triathlon. I was doing triathlon when she was conceived and everything.”

“Growing up she would see us, train, race, go up to the podium,” Doray added. “She really grew up seeing triathlon as part of our day-to-day life.”

For these families, talent may have opened the door, but it was the example set by their mothers that helped sustain the journey.

And long before their children became stars themselves, these women had already shown them what dedication, sacrifice, and love for sport truly looked like.

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