A Goal Setter, A Goal Getter, A Libero

By Ritchelle Anne Magsakay & Frances Leynes

Screenshot during Zoom Interview with Carol Joy Galeno

She may be small in height, but it won’t stop her from dreaming big and seeing herself on a larger screen.

Athlete, gamer, baker, and Dean’s Lister Carol Galeno shares that the secret to maintaining being a multipotentialite is to master the essence of time management.

Carol is a libero of the Lyceum of the Philippines University (LPU) Lady Pirates.

Her journey to becoming an athlete started when she was in elementary the moment that a coach ordered her to serve which eventually led her to the world of playing volleyball.

During her high school years, Carol mentioned that she would only get an average grade just like any high school student.

However, after entering college, she matured and became responsible, prioritizing her academics and career as an athlete.

Carol became a consistent Dean’s Lister while improving herself in the field of sports, not letting losses affect her performance.

Her coach reminded the team that the more they focus on the past, the more that they can’t move forward and advised them to move on and focus on training and winning.

Since then, Carol developed an insight that the less she centers her attention on failure, the more that she excels in the things that she wants to accomplish in the present.

On the flip side, Carol isn’t only a student-athlete, she also has other hobbies such as playing Mobile Legends, Axie, and Rules of Survival. She also likes to bake, especially banana cakes, and is a furmom of four dogs.

When the pandemic began, Carol took the opportunity to do things she hasn’t done before. She did household chores, studied Spanish, binge-watched, discovered a lot of recipes, and explored anything that would help progress her life.

Carol’s inspiration for playing volleyball is her mother, she also motivates herself by focusing her mindset to be in the final four of the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) this upcoming season. She also stays humble and calm whenever people recognize her.

Along with this, one of the most iconic moments that made Carol laugh was when she noticed that the people who knew her started to go to the gym just to see her.

“I don’t take it as a big deal, kahit ilang beses na akong na interview sa GMA, para sa ‘kin, wala lang kasi, tao lang din naman ako, pareho lang ng bigas na kinakain. Wala namang dapat ipagmayabang.” she said.

(I don’t take it as a big deal, even though I was interviewed multiple times in GMA, for me, this was nothing, I am still a human, eating the same rice. There’s nothing to be boastful about.)

Carol also mentioned that the whole team is eager to have their comeback after being cut from last season due to the pandemic.

That’s why Carol had set her priorities first before personal matters. Her career as an athlete may be an unexpected turn of events, but it has provided her with a lot of opportunities and lessons.

Even though she had a fresh start, it was still inevitable for Carol to face different challenges where she experienced receiving negative comments, being belittled, and being labeled as a burden to the team. But, as a person who learns from her past, Carol now takes all the negative statements about her as constructive criticism which she uses to her advantage to make up for her mistakes and be a better version of herself.

Carol left herself a message, thanking herself for being obedient and disciplined, to focus on their upcoming season, and that without those experiences she had in high school, she wouldn’t be who she is today.

She’s ready to face any challenges head-on and with a strong will to learn more and be more.