Mikee’s shining Olympic achievement

I met Mikee Cojuangco in 1991 when she was only 17 years old. I was working as the ad and promo manager of Gift Gate. Virgie Ramos (VSR) owned Gift Gate back then, and she was looking for a fresh new endorser to launch the famous Swiss watch brand, Swatch.

I remember VSR coming to the office one day and announcing excitedly that she had found her Swatch model in Mikee, daughter of Peping and Tingting Cojuangco. Mikee struck me as being a shy but very charming teen when I met her.

Though she was an equestrienne, who was reluctant to be thrown into the limelight, she had to take a year off from the sport after she fell off her horse during training. Though it required lots of convincing on VSR’s part, Mikee was eventually persuaded to be the Swatch model, and the rest is history.

Fast forward to 30 years later. As the nation watched Hidilyn Diaz bag the first-ever gold medal for the Philippines in the Tokyo Olympics, I couldn’t help but notice that it was Mikee Cojuangco-Jaworski who awarded Hidilyn her medal. I immediately sent Girlie Rodis, Mikee’s manager, a message requesting an interview with Mikee, and I was happy to be accommodated.

As my heart swelled with pride seeing Hidilyn receive the gold, I couldn’t help but be similarly proud of Mikee, who is the first Asian woman to be elected to the executive board of the International Olympic Commission (IOC) and chairman of the Olympic Education Committee.

Our Zoom interview was set while Mikee was in quarantine. We ended up chatting for nearly two hours. It was especially wonderful to see how Mikee has remained simple and down-to-earth after all these years, despite her stature and accomplishments.

Here is our exchange:

How did you become a member of the executive board of the IOC? What are your duties and perks as an IOC member?

“I’ve been a member of the (IOC) representing the Philippines since 2013. Last year, I decided to apply to become a member of the executive board, but not without consulting my husband first and getting his approval. I went through the application process and hurdled three interviews. By God’s grace, I got elected and am now the first Asian woman to be part of the executive board of the IOC.

“The IOC aims to encourage sportsmanship, gender equality, diversity and inclusivity. But as chair of the Olympic Education Committee, which is comprised of academicians, athletes and NGOs, we prepare the tools needed so we can espouse Olympic values: Making new friends through the practice of sports, respecting the rights of individuals and developing an attitude of excellence, their mantra being, ‘To bring sport to the service of humankind.’ We meet online at least once a month and everything is voluntary work. The IOC shoulders our airfare and accommodations, and we get a per diem allowance when we travel officially.”

What was the mood like in Tokyo without the tourists and spectators watching the games?

“I think everybody and most especially the athletes were very happy and thankful to be there. It took the strong will and determination of IOC president Thomas Bach to make it happen. Imagine if you were an athlete training for years for the Olympics only to be told that the Olympics had been cancelled. Isn’t that devastating and heart-wrenching?

“The athletes didn’t mind that there were no spectators. They were there to compete and set new records, that’s what mattered. I was in Tokyo for 24 days and I had to take a saliva RT-PCR test daily before entering the venues. Unfortunately, I was not able to see the Olympic village, where the athletes were housed since that place had the strictest health protocols. The spirit of volunteerism was so palpable in Tokyo. It would not have been successful without them. I am so happy I made many friends and I have kept in touch with a lot of them.”

How did you feel when Hidilyn won the gold medal? Was it coincidental that you awarded her the medal?

“As a member of the IOC, we are given three awarding preferences to choose from. I really requested that the weightlifting competition be given to me since I’ve known Hidilyn since way back in 2016 when she got a silver in the Rio Olympics. I am so proud that she won the first gold medal for the country. But regardless of gender, I am more proud of being a Filipino.”

After winning four medals (one gold, two silvers and one bronze) in the Tokyo Olympics, do you think our athletes will get more support from the government?

“I think that the Philippine Sports Committee, which is a government agency, and the Philippine Olympic Committee, which is a private entity, should work hand-in-hand with the Philippine Sports Association, which is in charge of recruiting and training our athletes. Sports is very scientific and training has to be more deliberate and technical if we want to compete globally. We have to support our athletes with the proper training and nutrition to be competitive.”

Before we ended, I asked Mikee what her secret was to looking young and fit even if she’s a year shy from turning 50 in 2022. She proudly said that she is blessed that Someone up there continues to lift her up, and that husband Dodot and their three sons have been very supportive. She proudly added that Dodot is a great cook who is far better at cooking than she could ever be.

For Mikee, her family is her shining golden Olympic achievement.