Bemedaled karateka Jamie Lim stays ready amid career uncertainty

MANDAUE CITY, Cebu – Southeast Asian Games gold medalist Jamie Lim on Saturday bared she is still unsure whether she will compete in this year’s Southeast Asian Games in Thailand. 

Lim, who won two SEA Games gold medals in karate in 2019 and 2023, was among those who graced the launch of the Milo Active Pilipinas on Saturday here. 

After the launch, the 27-year-old said that she is still training, but right now, she is unsure whether she will compete for the Philippines in this year’s SEA Games due to her job. 

“I'm still in the team right now. So I'm just continuing training. Right now, I don't know yet because of my job. We'll see where the wind takes me,” she told reporters.

“But right now, I'm still training hard, making sure I prepare for anything that I decide to do,” she added. 

Lim is currently working as a data analyst for a private company. 

The karateka also previously won a silver medal and two bronzes in the SEA Games. 

“Of course, I'll stay prepared. pero since I'm turning 28 this year, I have to be focused on work as well,” she said. 

“So right now, what I'm doing is training well and working hard para if I decide to play in the SEA Games, I'll be prepared. And I won't be cramming the training either.” 

Lim, however, lauded her job for being “very understanding.” 

“They know that I'm a national athlete. And they got me because they believe in the values that I believe in as well…  So they're very understanding about if I have training at this time, they won't set meetings for me,” she said. 

“I'll just offset my hours at night. So they allow me to be able to do that. Sometimes, I work at night and the sacrifice comes there. Aabutin nang 8 p.m., I’m still working. But still, it's a great life and work balance,” she added. 

Full circle

During the event, Lim taught kids the basic moves of karate. 

She also inspired the kids and told the story of how back when she was six, she started karate and she lost all the time. 

But that did not stop her as she is now one of the top karate fighters in the country. 

The 27-year-old relished the opportunity to have a full circle moment. 

“Full circle. So I just remember myself when I was 6 years old. I saw the kids doing gymnastics so I'll go to kickstart the event. And I had flashbacks of myself doing karate when I was young. And I love that I'm still a part of it right now,” she underscored. 

“When I was young, I was not good. I kept losing. So who would have thought that I would be in this position 20 years later to be able to inspire kids? And to use my story that I was losing a lot at the start but then eventually started winning just because of the hard work and discipline and just never giving up,” she added. 

“I love that I can be able to share that and I have Milo to be able to help the kids.”