From Tondo to Paris: EJ Obiena inspires people to jump to their dreams
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The road towards the Olympics is a tough one. Athletes train for hundreds of hours, face rejection and criticism, and get burdened by the pressure of representing a nation in the global scene that demands greatness. There are those meant for this road: their unending determination and perseverance allow them to compete in the prestigious sports event.
Such is the story of EJ Obiena—the Filipino pole vaulter beloved by many, not only for his skills but also for his values, which ignite the dreamer within one’s heart.
Ayala Land, Inc. (ALI), the Philippines’ leading and largest full-line property developer, is witness to Obiena’s rise to success. As an ambassador of Vermosa, AyalaLand’s estate which promotes a healthy and active lifestyle, he utilized the Ayala Vermosa Sports Hub (AVSH) during his practice sessions in the country as he prepared for the 2024 Paris Olympics.
Before competing in the Olympics, ALI even got to know Obiena in a deeper sense. This relationship has helped make him the man and athlete he is today.
Pay the price
When asked about his secrets of success, Obiena shares three steps:
Determine what you want.
Know the price and what it would entail for you to hit it.
Most importantly, have the capacity to pay the price.
Obiena believes many fail once they reach the last point, causing them to give up on their dreams of success. “Unfortunately, in this life, there are no shortcuts,” he shares.
Obiena follows with three tips in order for people to close the loop:
Have patience.
Have a “good get-up.”
Have discipline.
A lesson on patience
“For me, my story of patience [goes] back to the day I was born,” Obiena shares.
Growing up in Tondo, Obiena is blessed to be in a family focused on sports. His father, Emerson Obiena, was a national pole vaulting athlete who inspired his son to pursue this path since childhood.
Obiena started joining various sports competitions during his youth. In 2011, he joined Palarong Pambansa. Although he did not win first place, he considers this experience to be one of his high school highlights, as he was able to compete for his region. He continued to join competitions —even representing the Philippines—through to 2013.
In 2014, Obiena started training in Formia, Italy. This was the spark that would signal great changes in his career, under the tutelage of his current coach, Vitaly Petrov.
Since then, Obiena started making a name for himself: making and breaking records and even trying to qualify for the 2016 Rio Olympics. While he failed to make it then, he achieved other things the following year when he was recognized as a world-class athlete.
In 2017, Obiena broke into the top 30 of the world in pole vaulting. He also won his first regional medal in the 2017 Asian Athletics Championships (he brought home a bronze).
How did he do that? He did it through dedication, practice, and grit.
Good nature, good prospect
As with many things in life, some things don’t go as planned. Setbacks come our way no matter how prepared we are.
The same year Obiena started making waves (2017), he injured his anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) during a practice session. This happened the night before he left for Kuala Lumpur for the Southeast Asian Games. For athletes, having their ACL torn is like a death sentence to their sports careers.
For Obiena, this served to strengthen his resolve to push through. From this, he mustered the strength to have what he calls a ‘good get-up’— the capacity to rise despite the challenges.
He eventually brought his fitness level back to where it should be and found himself in the 2024 Olympics. Obiena’s unwavering patience and dedication despite the setbacks brought on by his injuries have made him a household name not only in the country but also in the global world of sports.
At the 2024 Olympics, Obiena was not able to bring home a medal. But, he rose from number eleven to four, a feat for the Philippines and in achieving a better version of himself. His grace under the face of unbelievable pressure—even asking for forgiveness from Filipinos—is the perfect example of the adage that all winners need to be a good sport.
This is what makes him a true winner.
Discipline as a way of life
“Discipline, for me, is doing the things that you don’t want to but you know you need to,” says Obiena.
As an athlete, his life is bound by routine, and—like most young adults his age—he also does not want to follow it seven days a week. But when Obiena is set to compete, he knows he needs to make a lot of sacrifices, including the food he wants to eat.
For EJ, discipline and sacrifice go hand in hand. He has learned to embrace this reality in order to succeed in his pole vaulting career.
Fruits of hard labor
Needless to say, this part has been written in history. Obiena has won various competitions and has broken many records. As of August 15, 2024, he is ranked No. 3 in the men's pole vault category according to the latest rankings released by World Athletics. He also holds the Asian record with his clearance of 6.00 meters at the 2023 World Athletics Championships where he won the silver medal.
Obiena is also celebrated for placing fourth at the recently concluded 2024 Paris Olympics, a big jump from his previous placing of 11th at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics. While he settled one place below the podium, people admired his unwavering dedication to jump higher—for himself and the whole country.
“I commit to everyone now, I am back in training, I am back in the game, and I am going to attack the rest of the season and make you proud,” he posted on Instagram. “You are going to see more from me, and see the Philippine Flag raised on a global stage.”
Besides his achievements, he is revered for his support toward Filipino athletes and the pole vaulting community. In 2023, he launched an advocacy project titled "Katapulting an Athlete's Dream" to help create pole vault training pits in the Philippines. He sees the potential of pole vaulting in the country, and he believes that by having proper support and resources, Filipino athletes will have the chance to shine globally.
To say that AyalaLand, Inc. is proud of Obiena’s achievements and performance in the 2024 Paris Olympics is an understatement. Just as the athlete works hard to make the country proud, AyalaLand, Inc. also strives to support Filipino athletes until they successfully leap toward their dreams.
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