The everyday worker could probably get away with filing a leave for their birthdays. But for extraordinary athletes like Bali Pure’s Alyssa Valdez, birthdays often fall on game days and, sometimes, matches with the highest of stakes.
On her 23rd birthday, the three-time UAAP MVP’s birthday celebration started early at the FilOil Flying V Centre. Hours before her Game One of their Shakey’s V-League Open Conference semifinal series against Bali Pure, Valdez’s fans flocked the arena with gifts.
One special group of fans who call themselves “Alyfinity”, even went through the trouble of make a double-sided flip board display for the Phenom.
“Every year naman sinusubukan namin gawin to for Alyssa,” said the group’s leader Leahliza Dela Cruz. “Dapat nga simpleng tarpaulin lang ang gagawin namin.
“Pero chinallenge kami ni Ms. Vanya [Padilla-Edralin, Valdez’s manager] na i-surprise namin si Alyssa so nagpagawa kami ng board,” she added saying the project cost her entire group around 10,000 pesos and several hours of sleep.
Valdez repaid this kind gesture with an epic 24-point outing which included several clutch plays.
“Sino ba namang hindi mai-inspire di ba? Extra effort talaga sila today,” Valdez shared. “I’m not expecting anything from them naman. Kaya sobrang nakaka-touch and I know na sobrang genuine ng love nila so maraming salamat talaga to everyone.”
In an unusual statistic, Valdez is undefeated during her birthday, last beating the Philippine National Police Lady Patrollers in the Shakey’s V-League Season 11 Open Conference during her 21st burthday.
“As an athlete naman masasanay ka na birthday mo tapos may game or may training. Volleyball really is life. But I’m really happy to spend it with you guys so see you next year?,” Valdez closed.
