EXCELLING IN both taekwondo and academics, Ateneo Women’s Sparring Team Captain Eirenne Lumasang (3 AB COM) is a dedicated student-athlete and renowned member of the taekwondo community. Eirenne is creating an outstanding athletic career for herself—becoming one of Ateneo’s reliable taekwondo veterans—as her experiences and contributions establish an impact on younger generations.

Early roots

The skill and interest of Eirenne in taekwondo can be attributed to her family’s athletic roots. Her father performed the Japanese martial art of aikido, her mother was a taekwondo and karate athlete, and her grandfather was a judo instructor. The extensive involvement of her family in the martial arts led to the young jin’s decision to pursue the sport later on.

With her family guiding her, Eirenne continued to showcase her proficiency in the sport by joining local tournaments such as the Palarong Pambansa—catching the attention of numerous schools. As she graduated from high school in St. Joseph College of Novaliches Inc., Eirenne was offered by AWTT Head Coach Elmer Rafael to join the team for college.

In the same year of joining the Blue and White, Eirenne was also on a hot streak in her sparring competitions with the National Team. In 2018, the all-around taekwondo jin was selected to be part of the National Team’s sparring division, while also notching her first gold medal in the National Poomsae Competition. Since then, the taekwondo stalwart brought home numerous medals such as a fourth-place finish last season in the poomsae team event and a bronze medal in the 2022 New Face of the Year National Online Taekwondo Championship. As she combines both mastery of the martial art and dedication to the sport, Eirenne has collected an impressive array of hardware with six gold medals, two silvers, and three bronze medals.

Pursuing the combat sport, Eirenne heeded her high school coach’s advice and chose to train for both poomsae and sparring—preparing herself for the collegiate division. Although she intended to pursue sparring when she first arrived at the Ateneo, Eirenne decided to pursue poomsae as well after noticing the university’s lack of poomsae athletes. Today, Eirenne remains to be the only member of the Ateneo squad to participate and win medals for both categories.

Building her throne

Aside from possessing the exceptional abilities to engage in both poomsae and sparring, Eirenne stresses the key difference between the two sports in terms of their playing weights. “It’s really hard [because] in poomsae, our coach wanted us to gain weight but in sparring, they wanted us to lose weight,” she explained.

The taekwondo medalist describes the conflicting weight requirements to be one of the most difficult facets of participating in both sports simultaneously. Having to adhere to rigorous diets catering to her weight for both sports, Eirenne experienced a decline in her health and stamina due to a decrease in her nutrient intake.

In addition to these demands, the biggest challenge she has faced throughout her entire career as an athlete was the “lose weight” culture fostered in taekwondo. According to the taekwondo jin, she found it difficult to stop herself from fixating on calories consumed even months after weight-adjustment periods. Despite clinching rare achievements in the sport at her age, Eirenne admitted to developing an  eating disorder during her years of practicing taekwondo.

When the 19-year-old taekwondo jin was included in the National Team, she had to follow a strict diet in order to compete in different weight categories for her tournaments. “Being part of the National Team, it’s [wasn’t] easy, especially with sports that involved weight categories. […] You know parang it’s the price to pay [for] being branded as a National Team. You really have to maintain that diet,” she shared.

Nonetheless, Eirenne’s experiences have undoubtedly shaped her mindset in both her life as a student and as an athlete. Instead of aimlessly complying to strict lifestyle changes, Eirenne has now learned to evaluate the various weight categories before entering a competition. She has also learned to consult with her coaches about her playing weight to provide enough rest for her body.

Outside of weight concerns, Eirenne has picked up the mindset of discipline coupled with perseverance both on and off the mats. From her struggles, the jin has also acquired the practice of always giving her best and putting her heart into everything that she does—no matter the outcome.

“I realized it doesn’t really matter if you win or you lose, because in the end, what really matters is how you will use winning and losing in building up a good character,” Eirenne shared.

The jin’s next steps

Putting forth the lessons she has acquired, Eirenne, alongside AWTT’s Kristin Santos and Martina Ventura, showcased their excellence during the University Athletic Association of the Philippines (UAAP) Season 84 Poomsae Tournament. After garnering an average score of 8.200 out of 10 in the competition, the trio was able to secure a fourth-place spot in the Ateneo’s first final round appearance since Season 79.

Following their remarkable Season 84 performance, Eirenne shared that many things—including the competitions held in the face-to-face set up—have changed. Aside from the typical endurance and strength training, Eirenne has also been familiarizing herself with the new changes in preparation for the upcoming season, most especially in sparring. According to the captain, certain elements of the sport have changed, such as the application of kicks and the manner in which fouls and deduction points are given.

Despite the challenging adjustments in the sparring scoring system and rules, Eirenne asserted that she is doing her best to deliver an even stronger performance next season. The veteran is looking forward to participating once again in the upcoming sparring and poomsae tournaments, especially amid the growing fervor of the UAAP community.

After years of countless sacrifices and struggles, Eirenne truly embodies the passion and drive of what becoming a true Atenean athlete means. The steadfast drive and determination of the Ateneo Women’s Sparring Captain are fueled by taking comfort in knowing that she will once again represent the Blue and White next season.

With all of the experiences she encountered in taekwondo, Eirenne hopes to apply these lessons as she takes on the responsibility of leading her team on and off the mats. Leading by example, the former national sparring team member hopes to impart to her teammates and rookies the mindset she gained from her involvement in different teams throughout her athletic career.

Following the resumption of taekwondo competitions and in-person classes, Eirenne is steadily inching her way back to the day-to-day activities of a student-athlete. As she endeavors to build a lasting legacy even outside of her sport, Eirenne hopes to respond to every challenge head-on.