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SportsTranscript
00:00 Ever since that moment, it's been an everyday thing.
00:03 It's the energy that you're giving,
00:05 it's the energy that you're receiving
00:08 and open to receiving.
00:09 So being grateful has literally changed my life.
00:13 (upbeat music)
00:15 - Kabamilya aside from Pinoy hoopers,
00:22 Pinoy spikers naman ang aarangkada ngayon
00:24 sa international scene.
00:26 Today we have another talent
00:28 who will surely make waves in her career.
00:31 Let's all welcome Iris Palenada.
00:34 How are you Iris?
00:36 - I'm good.
00:37 I'm just busy, which seems silly
00:39 because I'm like not in PBL season anymore,
00:42 but it's been a process trying to get everything done
00:45 and also staying on top of my workouts
00:48 and just finding things other than volleyball
00:51 to occupy my time.
00:53 - When did you start really playing the game
00:55 and who inspired you to love volleyball in general?
00:59 - My dad played volleyball at FEU.
01:02 Go time arounds.
01:03 Ever since then, I was kind of around volleyball
01:06 'cause my dad would go play in open gyms
01:09 with his Navy buddies over there.
01:11 And sometimes he would take my aunt and myself
01:14 and we would just sit there.
01:15 We hated it.
01:16 We didn't like dodging all the volleyballs
01:18 and we were never into it.
01:19 But one day my aunt decided to pick up on it
01:23 and she had so much fun with it.
01:26 And then in one of her middle school practices,
01:29 I was just sitting down in the gym waiting to go home.
01:32 They just needed another body on the course.
01:34 I was like, okay, I guess I'll join.
01:36 And ever since then,
01:37 I was told that I should play volleyball.
01:39 - It was not love at first sight for you, volleyball.
01:41 - Absolutely not.
01:42 So my very first sport I would say was tennis.
01:46 My mom put my aunt and I in like tennis lessons.
01:49 Hated that.
01:50 I just like swat the bags
01:51 and not really focus on playing tennis.
01:53 I did cheerleading for five years and basketball.
01:58 And it was crazy because I would do cheer
02:00 and basketball at the same time.
02:02 So it was like, I was bouncing around
02:04 for practices and competitions and games all the time.
02:07 I also like golfing.
02:08 - How would you describe your run
02:10 in the pro league here in the Philippines?
02:12 - It's been really interesting
02:13 since the first year I got here, which was 2015.
02:17 The offensive style was really different
02:20 from what I was used to.
02:21 I was seeing all these like high sets,
02:23 super high digs, and like,
02:25 it just was a lot of defense here.
02:27 And then fast forward to present day,
02:30 like all the teams are starting to go fast
02:32 and I'm loving it.
02:33 I'm like, this is awesome.
02:34 This is, that's part of growing the game.
02:36 You know, I learned a lot
02:38 and I'm glad to see volleyball evolve more
02:41 in the Philippines.
02:42 - Can you walk us through the process
02:45 of getting into the Korean volleyball league?
02:47 - I got a text from my agent asking
02:50 if I would like to enter the COVO draft.
02:53 And of course she told me MJ would be part of it too.
02:56 And I was just like, you know what?
02:58 Let's take a chance.
03:00 Let's just do it.
03:01 We get to the draft and obviously MJ gets picked.
03:04 I don't get picked.
03:05 And you go into these things just hoping for the best,
03:09 but also understanding that at the end of the day,
03:12 it's a business, you know,
03:14 they're gonna choose whoever they're gonna choose
03:16 and you have to be okay with whatever outcome happens.
03:18 I had accepted it and kind of, you know,
03:21 moved on from not being chosen.
03:23 Then just a couple of weeks ago,
03:25 I get a text from my agent again.
03:27 Are you still interested in playing in South Korea?
03:30 I said, whoa, absolutely.
03:33 Yeah, a hundred percent.
03:34 Like, why wouldn't I?
03:35 From then it just, it's like, okay, how do we do this?
03:38 What's the next steps?
03:39 What's all this stuff?
03:40 We have to go through all this paperwork,
03:41 which is, you know, taking a long time, of course,
03:44 but it's exciting and it's kind of nerve wracking.
03:47 And also it's truly stepping into the unknown for me
03:51 because I'm going into a country
03:54 I've never been to before.
03:56 I'm gonna play in a league
03:57 that I have never played in before.
03:59 And it's gonna be a brand new experience
04:01 being an actual import with like no family in that country.
04:06 It's been a crazy process.
04:07 Everyone was really supportive and very excited.
04:09 When I told my teammates,
04:11 that was like the most emotional thing.
04:13 And I was like, oh my gosh, this is crazy.
04:15 And like, everyone was screaming and like hugging me
04:17 and everything.
04:18 That was the most fun part of revealing to everyone.
04:21 - So you told me about MJ being your best friend
04:24 and being the first Filipina.
04:25 And now you are the next one to venture in Korea.
04:28 How did she react with that news?
04:31 And how was that for you?
04:32 - So excited to call her and just tell her the news.
04:35 I'm like, thinking back on it,
04:37 we just kind of started screaming on the phone together.
04:40 And she's like, oh my God, that's so awesome.
04:42 Like we have this joke that we are inseparable.
04:46 Look at us now, we're still gonna be inseparable.
04:48 It's amazing.
04:49 It's gonna be so exciting.
04:50 She actually is gonna be a few hours away from where I live.
04:53 I'll be in Seoul.
04:55 I forgot, I don't wanna try to pronounce the province
04:57 or city she's in because I don't wanna butcher it already.
05:00 I'm excited for more adventures with her
05:02 and face her on the volleyball court again.
05:05 It's pretty cool to represent the Philippines together.
05:07 - All right, so I know you're so excited for it,
05:10 but how are you preparing for this transition of yours?
05:13 - I'm just doing what I normally would do in life.
05:17 Like go to church, I talk to my family.
05:19 I've been talking to my mentors a lot more about everything.
05:23 And I've reached out,
05:25 especially like to my coaching mentors back home.
05:28 They've kind of helped me mentally prepare for this.
05:31 And physically I'm just doing my workouts
05:34 that I've been given and also other things, you know,
05:36 you guys have seen everything, but yeah,
05:38 just trying to stay in shape.
05:40 But also remembering to live life at the same time.
05:44 - So what are your expectations Iris
05:46 entering this new chapter?
05:48 - It's gonna be a huge test of my character and, you know,
05:52 my mental and physical capabilities as well.
05:56 A brand new experience is always gonna bring out
05:58 different things in you.
06:00 I know that it's gonna be tough in the gym,
06:03 competition wise,
06:04 and the culture is gonna be really different.
06:07 You go into these things where you just have to figure it
06:10 out as you go along and make small adjustments
06:12 as much as you can.
06:13 - You said a grateful heart is a magnet for miracles.
06:17 And what does that quote mean for you?
06:21 - That's basically like one of my top life mottos.
06:25 A few years ago, I started a mental health journey.
06:29 I had a life coach and we would just work on a lot
06:31 of things internally.
06:33 At one point it clicked with me that I need to find things
06:38 and people to be grateful for.
06:39 And that's from the smallest things to like the biggest
06:42 things that have happened in my life.
06:43 Ever since that moment, it's been an everyday thing.
06:47 It's the energy that you're giving,
06:49 it's the energy that you're receiving and open to receiving.
06:53 So being grateful has literally changed my life.
06:57 - So thank you for that Iris.
06:59 I know that you are so busy right now,
07:01 but still you managed to, you know,
07:03 come here and do this interview.
07:05 So let's go to the lighter questions.
07:08 What are you gonna miss most about playing here
07:10 and the film?
07:11 - Just having fun with life.
07:13 Like I can call up some of my cousins.
07:16 I have a lot of family here.
07:17 I have a lot of friends here and be like,
07:18 oh, let's just, you know, go to BGC.
07:20 Let's have a, you know, lunch day, whatever.
07:22 So I'll definitely miss my friends.
07:24 I'll miss the island.
07:25 I'm a true island girl at heart.
07:27 And I'll just miss the other foreigner friends
07:31 I've made here.
07:32 My circle is just from a bunch of different stories
07:36 and cultures around the world.
07:37 And it's been awesome.
07:39 - Three top spots in BGC
07:41 and three beach travel destinations for you.
07:44 - BGC, high street, 'cause there's a lot of things there.
07:47 La Picarra is one of my favorite restaurants.
07:50 Just BGC in general.
07:52 Let's just call it BGC in general.
07:55 - All right, all right.
07:56 How about the island?
07:57 - Well, first of all, Belair, Sabang Beach.
07:59 That is my place.
08:01 That's my province.
08:02 I took a trip to Baracay.
08:04 I love the beach at Baracay.
08:06 I think Coron was the other beach I've been to.
08:09 - Aside from that, let's talk about your F2 teammates.
08:12 What are you gonna miss most about them?
08:14 - Just laughing with them.
08:16 Oh my gosh, they're so funny.
08:17 - Who's your closest?
08:18 - Probably Abby.
08:19 She's just so awesome.
08:20 I'm close with most of them.
08:22 It's like an age gap type of thing,
08:24 but I love all my teammates.
08:26 I'm close with every single one in a different way,
08:29 but Abby's actually a huge reason why I got to F2.
08:33 And she knows that,
08:34 and I have thanked her so much for that.
08:37 I think we have a tita bond
08:38 that we've established over the years.
08:40 - So aside from playing Iris,
08:42 you're also dancing during your free time.
08:45 You've uploaded a lot of reels and videos on SockMed app.
08:50 So how has that helped you out?
08:53 - I am a firm believer in athletes
08:57 doing many different sports
09:00 because it's just gonna make you a better athlete
09:02 and it's being able to move your body in different ways.
09:06 - Are there some Korean words
09:08 that you wanting to know more,
09:11 greetings that you have learned already?
09:13 - I have practiced them to myself.
09:16 I don't think I'm brave enough to say it
09:18 on a live interview,
09:20 but there's "de" which is like, yes, I think.
09:24 I am determined to learn a volleyball Korean terms at least.
09:29 - The language barrier would be hard for you,
09:31 but of course, for sure, you would really adapt
09:33 to your new environment, to your new teammates,
09:36 and we hope nothing but the best for you, Iris.
09:40 - Thank you.
09:41 - Thank you so much.
09:43 And you know, that ends our interview.
09:45 If there's anyone you want to shout out,
09:47 you may do so now.
09:48 - Shout out to my family back home, the Tolonadas,
09:52 and also my best friends back home.
09:54 Shout out to all the volleyball fans here in the Philippines
09:58 and all over the world.
09:59 Thank you guys so much for your support.
10:01 And I hope that you guys keep reaching for your dreams
10:05 and dreaming bigger than you have ever imagined.
10:08 - All right.
10:09 That's so great to hear from you, Iris.
10:11 Again, this is Iris Tolonada and I am Maryse Domingo.
10:14 This is ABS-CBN Sports.
10:15 Kinoy, ang lalo.
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