Last June, BS Mathematics major Jamie Lim graduated summa cum laude from University of the Philippines.
Six months later, the daughter of PBA great Samboy Lim struck gold in the Southeast Asian Games.
She achieved the feat after ruling the kumite individual female +61kg, besting Indonesia’s Ceyco Zefanya in the final, 2-1, to give the Philippines its second karate gold in this Games.
Lim was emotional after the win. For her, the decision to return to the sport after all this time was all worth it.
The 22-year-old bared that she only returned just this July after stepping away for four long years to focus solely on her academics as she felt that karate was calling her back.
“I worked super hard for this. I just started this July. Four years stop ako sa karate cause I was focused on academics,” Lim told reporters Monday at the Hall A of the World Trade Center.
“Karate has always been in my heart. 2019 SEA Games in the Philippines, how special is that? The timing is perfect — I got my goal sa academics and I think the signs just told me to.
“It’s calling me to come back and I just went for it. Bahala na. And it paid off,” she furthered.
Following the feat, there are now two SEA Games gold medalists in the Lim household. Samboy won two golds as part of the men’s national cage team in the 1983 and 1985 editions of the meet.
So she dedicated her medal to her father — a medal that indeed made her 2019 such a memorable year.
“Summa cum laude is for mom (Darlene Berberabe), SEA Games gold is for dad. I can’t believe that both of them happened this year, 2019 is so perfect for me. I’m so grateful,” she expressed.
“I look up to my mom and dad so much. To even come close to him, to be compared to him and mom, its so big for me. Today is so special for me. I feel happy.”
