A compelling intersection of sports and showbiz is refreshingly brewing with the official introduction of one lovely, level-headed and limber young lady named Pauline Lopez, who has a major debut movie already in the works.
A Taekwondo champion and professional coach who has been bringing many accolades to country in the last several years, Pauline's innovative management — film producer Dondon Monteverde's ever-growing and richly diverse Virtual Playground — proudly presented her at a casual yet cozy luncheon where the well-rounded Filipina-American both impressed and charmed a roundtable of Entertainment editors and veteran showbiz columnists.
Fans of Taekwondo and followers of the Philippines' national sporting teams should know Paulene for her impressive martial arts track record, which, thus far, includes gold medals from the Southeast Asian Games and other prestigious sporting events.
"I've been doing Taekwondo since I was eight years old, and then I really went into the elite when I was 13," shared the very toned but lady-like Pauline. "My very first competition was representing the country in 2010 at the Asian Games in Guangzhou, China.
"I was the youngest in the delegation. I was only 13, and at the time, Taekwondo didn't have rules yet. I was fighting women who were 28 years old."
Later, given a scholarship by the Ateneo de Manila for college and to be part of the Taekwondo varsity team, Pauline now has a good 12 years and counting of being part of the national team.
An emerging breed of Taekwondo enthusiasts of a pretty broad age range doesn't just know Pauline either but lives and breathes the California-born and bred's moves and advice quite literally. It's because, in the more recent part of her 12 years, she passionately decided to move her life to Manila to continue representing the Philippines in global competitions and ultimately put up her very own training school.
Aptly called the Shero Martial Arts School — where the "s" before hero cleverly and clearly pronounces how Pauline sees the female race — has been up and running for a year already. Located in BGC, Taguig City, it is where this disciple, champion and teacher of Taekwondo — add to that growing list Philippine patriot and advocate for equality — personally conducts classes every weekend and fulfills her promise to share her skill and knowledge for the sport's enduring future in the country.
Always a step ahead because of the razor-sharp focus the sport honed in her, Pauline has even collaborated with Monteverde in mounting an already sold-out event on January 28, dubbed the Mapata Taekwondo Competition Championship. Set to take place at Amoranto Stadium, Quezon City, Pauline is well on her way to ensuring her sport's growing popularity, with over 600 young participants expected to compete in the amateur tilt.
Thrilled over the figures of young Filipinos now into Taekwondo, Pauline explained why it is such an excellent sport to get into throughout one's life.
"Taekwondo is not all about kicking and punching. It's more than sports. It's all about the values that are instilled in you. It's about confidence, modesty, perseverance, and etiquette. So, what we learn inside the studio, we bring it out with us into the world."
Trained to put in her all-in-one endeavor at a time, this pretty, toned and articulate firecracker said that while her full attention is focused on the January 28 competition at the moment, she can't help but be excited to work on the next big project Virtual Playground has planned for her.
"I'm going to be part of 'Buybust 2' [the sequel to Anne Curtis' Erik Matti action blockbuster, "Buy Bust" in 2018] where she will likewise get to show the stuff she's made of and trained for to the general public.
Expressing her excitement about working with Anne, who she has already met and trained with, Pauline describes the lead star as "very down-to-earth, very kind as well, and honestly, very sweet."
She even revealed she looks up to the multi-media phenomenon as a role model, admiring the latter's multifaceted achievements as an empowering woman, business professional, mother, and action star.
Determined like Anne to push action as a genre for female actors too — and from an actual athlete's very legitimate stance to boot — it is both intriguing and fascinating to see what Pauline will do and how far she will go in incorporating two professions that come so naturally to her. Her pretty face, articulate conversation, and pleasant demeanor won't hurt either once she makes that strong and graceful flying kick from the Taekwondo ring into showbiz official real soon.
Watch out for showbiz's new and worthy recruit, Pauline Lopez, y'all.
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