First gold

There may not be many who recall that Arianne Cerdeña Valdez was the first Filipino athlete to win an Olympic gold medal back in 1988. Now a nurse in the United States, Arianne is still in touch with many of her contemporaries from the bowling world, like Philippine Sports Commission board member Bong Coo and multiple Guinness World Record-holder Paeng Nepomuceno. In an interview with The STAR and DWAN 1206 AM, she recalled the grueling road to gold in Seoul.

“Bowling was a demo sport at the time,” she begins. “There were several tournaments we had to travel to and join to qualify for the Olympics. There was a lot of pressure on me, I felt, because I was the only Filipino athlete to make it in bowling. I felt a lot of responsibility to the country.”

After the exhilaration of winning a gold medal alongside the late Leopoldo Serrantes’ bronze medal in boxing, it would be 36 years before she would see a Philippine gold medal that counted in the standings. Arianne remembers very clearly how she felt when Hidilyn Diaz finally broke through in Tokyo.

“I was so proud,” she gushes. “Every athlete dreams of winning an Olympic gold medal and hearing our national anthem being played. It makes you very proud to be a Filipino.”

Cerdeña Valdez was a pillar of the most formidable generation of bowlers the country has ever seen. That batch rightfully had swagger as their reputation preceded them. They would intimidate the opposition by simply walking into a room. She had so much confidence because, in practice, she defeated and was also defeated by the unbeatable. That unshakeable faith is something she hopes can be recreated by this new generation.

“We really felt invincible because of all the hard work and what we had accomplished,” Arianne explains. “I think we need someone like that, who can say ‘I got this.’ Having teammates like that makes you also feel invincible.” 

In a few years, Arianne Cerdeña Valdez will retire and return to the Philippines. She plans on giving back to bowling, to create more champions for the Philippines. She has already broken so many barriers for generations to come, creating an unforgettable legacy in sport. And she’s not done yet.