THANYA DELA Cruz took a deep breath as she stepped foot on the starting platform for her University Athletic Association of the Philippines (UAAP) Season 85 200-meter Breaststroke event.
Locked in, she began a series of swift and precise strokes, overtaking all the opponents that swam alongside her. Behind the thunderous drums and electrifying cheers from the stands, the freshman finished the race in first place, also bagging her third national record in swimming.
However, before her impressive debut in UAAP Season 85, FAST Ateneo Women’s Swimming Team’s Thanya Dela Cruz had to overcome her own uphill battle—making her success for the Blue and White even more significant.
Facing the current
Prior to the groundbreaking records set by the breakout rookie, she was tasked with journeying through a road focused on self-redemption.
Thanya faced the biggest obstacle of her career in 2019 when she was selected to represent the Philippines in the Southeast Asian (SEA) Games. The 17-year-old Thanya back then was assigned to participate in only one event: the 200-meter Breaststroke—the longest distance in that category.
Despite the countless hours put in to prepare for the event, her bid for a podium finish was put to a halt when she suffered an anxiety attack during the race. Because of the overwhelming stress and nervous tension she felt, Thanya had to stop in the middle of the pool to calm herself down.
After her experience, the swimming stalwart was convinced that the 200-meter Breaststroke was an event she could never race again. However, just like any swimmer of her caliber, Thanya knew deep down that she needed to do whatever it took to bounce back from the aftermath.
As her love for the sport weighed greater than her self-doubt, Thanya entered the 2021 Philippine Swimming Incorporated (PSI) National Selection Bubble, despite admitting that she had no expectations of winning.
Without putting any pressure on herself to win in her first competition—slated after almost two years into the pandemic—Thanya still dominated the national competition. In the end, she was able to add four gold medals to her name. She also smashed a pre-pandemic national record in the 50-meter Breaststroke race with her 32.89-second accomplishment, adding to her first-place finishes in the PSI National Selection Bubble.
In the following year, Thanya impressed the swimming community again with two more gold medals in both the 50-meter and 100-meter Breaststroke events of the 2022 PSI Grand Prix National Championships. To her own surprise, the breakout swimmer managed to beat her own previous 50-meter Breaststroke record of 32.89 seconds with a new finish of 31.35 seconds, setting another impressive national record.
Thus, all seemed well for the Marikina-born swimmer. However, the emotional and mental baggage from her previous SEA Games experience still haunted her.
Upon entering Ateneo and the UAAP stage, Thanya was given an opportunity to rebuild her self-esteem. She had the chance to unleash her potential in the sport, as well as help her new team find success. There, she was given the opportunity by Head Coaches Archie Lim and Candice Esguerra-Federiso to materialize all the hard work she put in prior to her collegiate career—and showcase to everyone her remarkable talent.
Just keep swimming
In her first chance to make an impact for the Blue and White, Thanya definitely did not disappoint. The rookie delivered by earning herself three gold medals and one bronze medal—significantly contributing to Ateneo’s overall second-place finish in UAAP Season 85. What topped her already astounding performance in the races were her three new national records in the 50-meter and 200-meter Breaststroke events.
Thanya’s historical streak began when she broke her own national record in the 50-meter Breaststroke with a precise time of 31.11 seconds. The following day, Thanya then set a new national record for the 100-meter Breaststroke event with a time of 1:08.64. Showing no signs of stopping, she surprised everyone when she broke that same record during the category’s finals later in the afternoon.
Finally, Thanya set her third national record in an event she never imagined swimming in again—the 200-meter Breaststroke. There, the swimmer valiantly finished with a flying time of 2:30.42.
Amid Thanya’s jaw-dropping performance in Season 85, the unfaltering rookie believed that her finish in the once-feared 200-meter race was the most special among the three records. She admitted that she was more focused on adding another gold medal to Ateneo’s tally, thereby eliminating all her hesitations towards that race.
“Well, that time, parang gusto ko talaga ‘yung best ko like, makuha ‘yung gold to give the points to Ateneo. But then, ‘di ko talaga expect to get that record. So I think it’s a good start for me coming in my rookie year,” the swimmer shared in an interview with the Tiebreaker Times.
(Well, that time, I just wanted to do my best, to get the gold to give points to Ateneo. But then, I didn’t expect to get those records.)
The Ateneo Women’s Swimming Team may not have been able to defend the championship crown they held for the past three seasons, but Thanya remains optimistic in her squad’s ability to bring the title back.
“I’m proud [of] what my teammates are showing this season. Everyone’s supportive, but giving this honor to my school is everything,” the star rookie emphasized.
Thanya’s recent successful Season 85 campaign was only one part of her year-long swimming ventures in 2022. Thanya closed off the year by representing the Philippines again in the 16th International Swimming Federation (FINA) World Swimming Championships in Melbourne, Australia. There, she competed in the 50-meter and 100-meter Breaststroke events, where she finished 26th and 33rd place, respectively, in the heat stages.
The journey ahead
Later this year, Thanya is set to compete in the 2023 World Aquatics Championships in Fukuoka, Japan. She will be bannering Philippines in the all-too-familiar Breaststroke affair.
Following her outstanding introduction in the UAAP and her recent participation on the international stage, the sky’s the limit for the rookie. With her first year behind, Thanya is now focused on the rigorous path ahead, while maintaining the same mindset she has always possessed.“No expectations. I’m just gonna give my best throughout my whole stay in Ateneo,” she expressed.
Through her courage and unwavering determination to face her fears, Thanya made history in Season 85. Beyond the UAAP, the accolades she has made throughout the past two years have forged a path for the young competitor to lead the next generation of Filipino swimmers.
The tides ahead may be unpredictable, yet the breakout star’s proven ability to bounce back from adversity can give her the confidence to overcome anything that comes her way.
