At the tender age of six, after just a year of competitive swimming, Jasmine Alkhaldi approached her coach with a burning question. She wanted to know the ultimate goal in the sport, seeking a clear path to follow. “It’s crazy how I remember it to this day,” she reflects, recalling the moment that set her on a remarkable journey. Her coach laid out the traditional route: make the national team, conquer international competitions, and ultimately, qualify for the Olympics. “I knew it in my heart, which was so weird. I just said, okay. I’m gonna go to the Olympics. Then I smiled, and I walked away.” From that point forward, her ambition was firmly fixed. Alkhaldi jokingly admits that the little girl within her was perhaps unprepared for the challenges that lay ahead. However, over two decades later, she accomplished everything she had envisioned.
“One thing about me is I don’t know how to quit,” the 30-year-old says with a laugh. A two-time Olympian, a 29-time SEA Games medalist, and a holder of multiple Philippine women’s swimming records, Alkhaldi doesn’t take her achievements lightly. “At the end of the day, it’s more than medals. It’s [about] how you present yourself.” This she understands profoundly.
In the 2013 Southeast Asian Games, Alkhaldi vividly remembers being stripped of her first-ever gold medal for the Philippines due to a technical mishap. An extra sound at the race’s start led to a false start for several competitors. Though exhausted and discouraged by the events of the previous night, she refused to be swayed by advice to withdraw from the rematch. With determination shining in her eyes, she declared, “They told me not to go but tinapangan ko loob ko. Philippine team ako eh. (They told me not to go, but I gathered my courage. I’m on the Philippine team, after all.)” And so, she swam.
As she touched the wall, Alkhaldi looked up and discovered she had secured third place. Despite the loss of the gold, she couldn’t help but feel a sense of triumph. The gold had become a bronze, but she had achieved what she considered her greatest accomplishment to date. “Besides making the Olympics, that is the happiest I have ever been in my sporting career,” she reflects. “It was a little sad that I didn’t get the gold, but a lot of competitors came up to me after that [to express their respect] that, yes, you didn’t win, but you still stood up there. Knowing that everyone’s against you, you still went for it.”
Alkhaldi shares a powerful message for aspiring athletes, particularly women: “Being an athlete and a woman, you’re gonna go through so many failures and disappointments,” she explains. “But what makes you follow through and what makes you reach your goal is getting up after you fall. That’s where strength is.”
This month, Vogue Philippines celebrates the stories of athletes who embody unwavering grit, determination, and the relentless pursuit of excellence. Alkhaldi’s journey is a testament to the power of resilience and the importance of rising above setbacks to achieve extraordinary feats.
