It wasn’t the most spectacular stat line of her career, but for Mylene Paat, every minute on the court already felt like a victory in itself.
After more than a year of grueling recovery from the most serious injury of her career, Paat took another significant step forward in her comeback — logging extended minutes in their five-set loss to Akari as she slowly rediscovers her rhythm on the Taraflex.
“Sobrang siyempre, saya ko din po na… Hindi ko nga inexpect na mabababad ako ng gano’n katagal kanina,” said Paat, who came off the bench and tallied eight points while playing from the second to the fourth set.
“Actually, sobrang saya ko. As in, sobrang saya ko. Even my family, sobrang saya din. My husband, lalo-lalo na yung mga teammates ko. Sobrang saya din na step by step… Step by step, malayo na pero malayo pa.”
Paat missed more than a year of action due to a supraspinatus tear in her left shoulder — an injury that forced her out of the 2024–25 All-Filipino Conference, the PVL On Tour, and the Invitational.
It was a long and punishing road back for the 31-year-old outside spiker from Bani, Pangasinan, who admitted that her recovery tested not only her body but also her patience and resolve.
(C) PVL Images
Throughout the taxing process that challenged her physically and mentally, Paat found strength in her faith — and in the unwavering support of her Kazakh husband, Sergey Rezanov.
“Actually, sobrang tagal eh. So, one year ako mahigit na nagre-recover. Actually, mag-a-anniversary na ako sa operation ko. Madami din kasi ako pinagdaanan eh. Pero hindi ako nawawala mismo dun sa loob ng training. I mean, nagti-training sila, pero nasa gilid ako nagre-recover. So, alam ko yung mga nangyayari sa team ko, gano’n,” said the 2022 PVL Reinforced Conference Conference MVP.
“And of course, yung journey ko kasi na habang nagre-recover, up and downs talaga. Or downs, downs, downs. Ngayon, medyo maangat na. Sobrang thankful lang ako kay God na sa journey ko, Siya yung kinakapitan ko. And of course, my husband.”
Still not yet at a hundred percent, Paat said her focus now is simply to contribute in any way she can whenever she has the opportunity to play — determined to make every appearance another step forward in her long-awaited return.
“Actually, sobrang saya ko. As in, sobrang saya ko. Even my family, sobrang saya din. My husband, lalo lalo na yung mga teammates ko,” she said.
“Sobrang saya din na step by step. Step by step. Step by step, malayo na pero malayo pa.”
#WATCH: “HINDI KO INEXPECT NA MABABAD AKO”
Mylene Paat shares her gratitude to the coaches for trusting her despite not being at full strength yet 🏐
📹 @jonashdcd /Tiebreaker Times#PVL2025 pic.twitter.com/s8NQTvu9es
— Tiebreaker Times (@tiebreakertimes) October 14, 2025
