Sunday, May 04, 2008 Pinoy Sports Idol: Katherine Kim Mayono By Marianne Saberon-Abalayan
THIS daughter of a driver was among the finalists of Studio 23's 2007 Pinoy Sports Idol, a reality search for outstanding Filipino athletes.
Katherine Kim Mayono, indeed, lived up to her being a sports idol after salvaging the one and only medal for the entire 16-member badminton team of the Davao Regional Athletic Association (Davraa) as the curtains of the 2008 Palarong Pambansa closed in Puerto Princesa City, Palawan recently.
She annexed the silver medal in the secondary girls single event.
Born to parents Ernesto and Evelyn Mayono on April 4, 1992, Kim just graduated at the Talomo National High School. She marched at the SM City Davao entertainment plaza along with her 2008 TNHS batchmates at the height of Davraa's training preparations in the City of Mati, Davao Oriental.
She took a three-hour land trip from Mati just to catch up with her graduation rites. Thus, showing that Kim puts weight on her academics, as she is passionate about badminton.
She completed her elementary education at the Talomo Elementary School, a few-minute jeepney ride from their home in San Agustin, Ulas.
Kim has three siblings: Earnest, Madeleine and Ernesto Jr. They and their parents are the wind beneath her wings. A pillar of strength for Kim and a refuge in the storm.
"My family inspires me to be the way that I am now," she told Sun.Star Davao.
Standing five-feet-one at 53 kilograms, Kim won in the Araw ng Dabaw Mayor's Cup Badminton Tournament in March, giving her alma mater another taste of glory before graduating.
"I'll take up Bachelor of Science in Accountancy at the University of Mindanao (UM) when classes start this June," Kim said.
But she maintained she doesn't have to give up her badminton career. "My sport doesn't affect my schooling. It helps me avail of a scholarship and also sustains me financially." Some competitions she joined in gave away cash prizes to winners.
Getting started
Kim engaged into badminton at age 10.
"I was in Grade 5 then. My adviser encouraged me to try the sport so I gave in and I got very interested," she recalled.
Talomo coach Jethra Villanueva said: "I was her Science teacher that time when I noticed that she (Kim) was a hyper student, so I convinced her to try out. She got lucky to be picked as part of our elementary badminton team."
She represented Talomo in the Unit Meet and earned a ticket to the Davao City Athletic Association (DCAA) Meet en route to claiming a slot in the Davraa Meet in 2003. She then emerged champion to qualify for her first-ever Palarong Pambansa on the same year.
"Her doubles team won a gold medal in elementary girls during the 2003 Palaro in Tubod, Lanao del Norte," Jethra said.
"She is one athlete any coach would love to train. She is obedient, disciplined and determined. She has it within her the hunger to win that I only need a little prodding as to what to do and not to do before and during a tournament," he said.
"I noticed in her the making of a successful athlete the very first time I saw her in the tryout. She has this sheer dedication and will-to-win look. I'm very proud that she has remained humble. I believe she will go a long, long way because of her positive attitude in sports. After all, its not all stamina that matters but the attitude," he added.
Making waves
Kim began making a name for herself since the Palaro debut. She captured the girls 12-under singles title and doubles runner-up honors in the 2nd City of Tacurong National Age-Group Badminton Championships held on April 29 to May 4, 2004.
In the 2005 Palaro in La Paz, Iloilo City, she and her partner won the secondary girls doubles silver, then she steered her team to the championship trophy during the JVC Badminton Tournament at the SM City Davao on May 14 and 15 that year.
On July 26 and 17, 2005 her tandem topped the Adidas Badminton Challenge Davao leg at the 4Play Badminton Gym then a month later she won anew in the Eagles Cup Badminton Tournament class A doubles at the Smashville Fitness Center along Uyang-uren Street.
She and her teammate ruled the Kimoni Badminton Tour 2006 Davao leg junior mixed doubles category at 4Play on March 18-19 and then followed it up with three titles (girls 15-under singles and doubles and girls open doubles) in the 4th City of Tacurong National Age-Group Badminton Championships.
In the May 7-14, 2006 Palarong Pambansa held in Naga City, however, Kim's doubles settled for the runner-up honors but she bounced back with the girls singles 14-under crown in the 1st Gov. Petilla National Badminton Tournament in Tacloban City in June.
At the Yonex-Sunrise Philippine National Open in Metro Manila held on October 23-30, 2006, she placed second in girls singles 14-under.
The year 2007 was similarly fruitful for Kim. She was champion in 16-under mixed doubles and runner-up in 20-under mixed doubles during the Kimoni Badminton Tour Kidapawan leg in February, girls doubles and mixed doubles gold medallist in the Palarong Pambansa hosted by Koronadal City, South Cota-bato. She was also girls singles champion in the PSC 16-under Badminton Tournament held on June 30 at the Smash & Drop and champion again in girls 15-under singles and doubles of the Yonex-Sunrise Regional Championships on September 8 and 9 in General Santos City.
As Kim enters college as a varsity scholar at UM, she said she would pursue her dream of becoming a national team player.
"I want to be a professional RP badminton team member a few years from now," revealed the avid fan of Filipina actress Judy Ann Santos.
With her motto, "Try and try until you succeed," Kim is no doubt guided by a principle that would bring her to greater heights in the future.
