 |
| Paige McPherson represents so much and so many at the Olympics. |
Going to her third Olympics, Paige McPherson’s dream is still alive and kicking
McPherson, who is of Black and Filipino descent, has one of the most compelling stories among the athletes. She is competing in tae kwan do, seeking to improve on the bronze medal she won in London in 2012. The Tokyo Olympics is the third Games in which she represented the U.S. in the ancient sport.
With a bronze medal on her Olympic resume, McPherson was expecting to medal in Rio in 2016 but, to her dismay, she lost her first match.
“It was absolutely devastating,” McPherson told the Miami Herald. McPherson, an Afro Filipino, was born in Texas and raised in South Dakota as an adoptee in a multi-racial family. “That hardship in Rio made me realize how I needed to train, both physically and mentally, which propelled me to where I am today.
“I was numb for a very long time, went into a period of depression," the 30-year old said. "You’re finally there, representing Team USA, and in the smaller sports like ours, unlike swimming, gymnastics, track and field, the only way to get recognized is if you get the gold medal or at least make the final. To dedicate your life four years, finally get that moment and lose your first fight, knowing that nobody is going to see you on TV or know who you are, it’s really hard.”
She was adopted by the McPherson's when she was only four days old. Her young birth mother from the Philippines knew she could not take care of her newborn so she opted to have her adopted.
Upon meeting her birth mother, she told McPherson that she chose the McPherson's because they promised to do everything they could to help Paige achieve her dreams. The McPhersons also had already adopted several children of different ethnic backgrounds.
Along with her birth mother, she also met half-siblings Denise and Blake.
“It was surreal to meet people that look like me, all four of us have the gap between our front teeth,” McPherson said. “I know I’m Filipino and know I’m black but to be able to meet my Mom, who is Asian, it gave me comfort in my identity. Growing up in South Dakota, I had no opportunity to get to know my culture of being Filipino or even being African American. To actually meet my mom, ... I was like, `Wow.’”
“And here I am, going to my third Olympics,” McPherson told the Herald. “I attribute this to my parents who were willing to take me in and give me everything. I also have to thank my birth Mom for choosing my parents because I wouldn’t have this life had she had not sacrificed and given me up to have a better future.”
Though she grew up “essentially in a white culture” in South Dakota without the typical links to her ethnic roots, McPherson told NBC that her parents were open about the differences among their children and celebrates them. For her, tae kwon do was something she excelled in, but also felt like “an extension of (her) family.”
McPherson, who is of Black and Filipino descent, has one of the most compelling stories among the athletes. She is competing in tae kwan do, seeking to improve on the bronze medal she won in London in 2012. The Tokyo Olympics is the third Games in which she represented the U.S. in the ancient sport.
With a bronze medal on her Olympic resume, McPherson was expecting to medal in Rio in 2016 but, to her dismay, she lost her first match.
“It was absolutely devastating,” McPherson told the Miami Herald. McPherson, an Afro Filipino, was born in Texas and raised in South Dakota as an adoptee in a multi-racial family. “That hardship in Rio made me realize how I needed to train, both physically and mentally, which propelled me to where I am today.
“I was numb for a very long time, went into a period of depression," the 30-year old said. "You’re finally there, representing Team USA, and in the smaller sports like ours, unlike swimming, gymnastics, track and field, the only way to get recognized is if you get the gold medal or at least make the final. To dedicate your life four years, finally get that moment and lose your first fight, knowing that nobody is going to see you on TV or know who you are, it’s really hard.”
She was adopted by the McPherson's when she was only four days old. Her young birth mother from the Philippines knew she could not take care of her newborn so she opted to have her adopted.
Upon meeting her birth mother, she told McPherson that she chose the McPherson's because they promised to do everything they could to help Paige achieve her dreams. The McPhersons also had already adopted several children of different ethnic backgrounds.
Along with her birth mother, she also met half-siblings Denise and Blake.
“It was surreal to meet people that look like me, all four of us have the gap between our front teeth,” McPherson said. “I know I’m Filipino and know I’m black but to be able to meet my Mom, who is Asian, it gave me comfort in my identity. Growing up in South Dakota, I had no opportunity to get to know my culture of being Filipino or even being African American. To actually meet my mom, ... I was like, `Wow.’”
“And here I am, going to my third Olympics,” McPherson told the Herald. “I attribute this to my parents who were willing to take me in and give me everything. I also have to thank my birth Mom for choosing my parents because I wouldn’t have this life had she had not sacrificed and given me up to have a better future.”
Though she grew up “essentially in a white culture” in South Dakota without the typical links to her ethnic roots, McPherson told NBC that her parents were open about the differences among their children and celebrates them. For her, tae kwon do was something she excelled in, but also felt like “an extension of (her) family.”
Now as an adult living in the multicultural city of Miami, she’s embraced her Filipino side wholeheartedly and credits close family friends with nurturing her connection to the culture.
As an Afro Filipino, as a woman, as a South Dakotan, as an American, McPherson represents so many people and so much more. Speaking to USA Today, McPhreson said: "I am a person of action. I usually let my actions speak louder than my words." And, so it is time.
No comments:
Post a Comment