Recovering physically but mind-ready, Esteban takes first steps to Paris 2024

In 2018, Maxine Esteban traveled 36 hours to South America to compete in the Junior World Cup in Guatemala.

After arriving at the venue, he did what had become a ritual for him – looking for the Philippine flag.

“I don’t know, I just have this habit of checking our flag every time I’m in a tournament,” said Esteban. “I feel proud or maybe relieved to be so far away from home.”

It’s not just a cursory check. He checked how the flag was hung: “We were taught in school that when it is hung horizontally, the blue should be on top. When it is hung vertically, the red should be on the right.”

Noticing that there was no flag at the tournament venue, he informed the committee about it. The next day, Esteban said he was happy because the organizers “produced our flag and it was hung perfectly.” Lucky for the tournament, too, because Esteban finished on the podium and it would have been a diplomatic snafu if he had received his medal without a flag behind it.

Esteban hopes to perform that routine—and more—in Paris, during the 2024 Olympics.

“It’s always been my dream,” she said to represent at the Summer Games.

But the journey is long and difficult, and to begin with, the country’s top-ranked fencer in the world will embark on a retreat that will feature 15 tournaments across Europe in the first half of 2023. And he will do this. from an injury that sidelined him at the end of 2022.

Esteban started the trip by flying to Italy on Wednesday to prepare for his first event, the World Cup in Paris which will start on January 12.

“The main goal of participating in this tournament is so that I can feel the action again,” said Esteban, who is coached by Andrea Magro—who leads fencing legend Valentina Vezzali of Italy, who has six Olympic gold medals. “Because I haven’t gone through the ‘safe’ period, I know that mentally, I will make controlled movements so that I don’t make accidental movements.”

Conquer your fear

Esteban, who tore his left anterior cruciate ligament while representing his country at the World Championships in Egypt last July, has spent the last five months of 2022 undergoing a difficult rehabilitation process to try to shorten the time that athletes usually do. recover from that injury.

“I want to come back as soon as possible, and the time is important because the Olympic qualification is close. I have to be ready now,” he said.

And while her knee is close to as good as new, she knows she needs to be in the perfect frame of mind when she runs to the Olympic venue.

“Mentally, I wanted to go,” he said. “I’ve been around for a long time – in my opinion – and I’m happy to do what I love the most.”

“The most important thing I want to get from this tournament is to cancel out the psychological and mental ‘fear’ that athletes have after returning to sports,” added Esteban. “I want to fence without thinking about the newly reconstructed ligament, but at the same time, I want to fence in moderation.”

After the World Cup, he will participate in another tournament in France before flying to Italy to continue his training and compete in the 2023 Grand Prix in Turin.

“I hope to get back to my pre-injury form this time,” he said.

Read Next

For suggestions, complaints, or questions, please contact us.