The Archer’s Aim: Life of a Ka-Globe Student-Athlete
- Jonathan Ebbinghans Reaport
- 12 minutes ago
- 6 min read
In the high-pressure world of archery, precision isn't just about holding steady—it's about the rhythm of tension and release. This same principle applies to life at Globe. To hit our targets, we need the strength to pull back the bowstring and the wisdom to know when to let go and breathe.
Meet Jonathan Reaport, a 21-year-old Ka-Globe and Atletang Ayala who navigates this delicate balance every day. As a member of the Philippine Recurve Archery Team, a Computer Science student at UP Diliman, and part of Globe’s HR Employee Engagement team, Jonathan is no stranger to a packed schedule. Yet, he has mastered the art of staying grounded amidst the whirlwind.
In this feature, Jonathan opens up about his journey toward his goal of representing the country at the Olympics.
My Journey to the Target
By Jonathan Reaport
I actually discovered archery on a whim. A fun fact about me is that I love gaming, especially during my free time, but back in 2015, I didn't really have any sport. My parents would tell me to find something active to do. I did play basketball when I was younger, but I never clicked with team sports.
That same year, the American TV Series “Arrow” was very popular. I would watch it with my family during the weekend, and all of a sudden, my dad asked me, “Do you want to try archery?” So one weekend, we found an archery range, inquired about the beginner course, and I completed the basic and advanced lessons over the summer. That was how it all began!
My coach saw potential in me and pushed me to join my first “fun shoot” in June of 2015. I just kept going from there. By December of that same year, I competed in my first international tournament—the Bangkok Indoor Archery World Cup—where I won bronze. It was wild for someone like me, who was fairly young, to have competed on an international stage. And the rest was history!
Now, my brother is following my footsteps in archery, but in another discipline of the sport. I am proud to have inspired him, and will continue to do so.
Looking back, it was the hard work, discipline, motivation, and support I received that led me to all those tournaments. And I remain thankful even up to this day.
The Challenge: Recognizing When to Pause
Life is definitely a rollercoaster, and we never know what might happen next. As a student-athlete and a Globe employee, balancing these different aspects of my life is challenging. Since my sport requires constant training to keep in shape, and I need to juggle both school and work, my schedule is definitely packed. This can easily lead to feeling burnt out and exhausted.
I think the biggest challenge of being an athlete is keeping your motivation. Losing your motivation makes preparing for anything, such as a competition, much harder. It makes you constantly feel tired, drained, and lacking the desire to practice or accomplish anything. I sometimes wished I could just be playing games at home.
When I start to feel like I’m losing motivation, or I notice physical signs such as stiffness or aches, that is when I know I may need to take some time off for myself.
I step away from responsibilities for a moment just to prepare myself to get back in the groove. Usually, I take a step back by indulging in some of my personal hobbies—like gaming!—or just take a breather and do nothing for a bit.
The Technique: Breathing Through the Pressure
When training is hard, competitions are stressful, or I have too many exams, my go-to mental reset is to take deep breaths. I find the 4-7-8 breathing technique to be the most effective. It is simply inhaling for 4 seconds through the nose, holding that breath for 7 seconds, and exhaling slowly out the mouth for 8 seconds. I like this because it can be done without compromising important tasks, since we can’t always afford to step back and rest for a long period.
"Focus lang sa goal" literally..
Personally, I have faced a lot of challenges in this sport, and one of the things that always bothers me is fearing outcomes that are yet to come. This leads me to hesitate. To counter this, I bring my mind to stay in the moment and think of the things that I can control. This keeps me grounded, so I do not worry about things that have not even happened.
The Mindset: Still We Rise
Being an athlete means we are prone to facing injuries and setbacks. When they come my way, I try to do my best to see my current situation as just another challenge. Setbacks are simply a part of life, and they are what make us grow and become stronger.
Every time a setback comes, I like to think that it is always a matter of one step backwards, and with the proper mindset, it will become two steps forward. I believe that when you are at a low point, the best mindset to have is that “the only way is up.”
It is normal for anyone to feel like giving up, especially when we feel tired. However, I always tell myself that we completely lose when we decide to give up.
“If I fail, then I fail, but I will bounce back stronger”—this is what I always think of when I have my back against the wall.
In those moments, I like to take a moment to remember why I am doing this in the first place. I meditate and try to recall what exactly drove me in the beginning and how it felt back then. I imagine the excitement I had when I first held a bow and loaded an arrow, or the joy when I shot my first bullseye. That is what brings back my drive.
The Mission: Inspiring Excellence
I have been in Globe and the Atletang Ayala program for a year now, and my role in this program is to inspire others and help out wherever I can. In my opinion, national athletes have a duty not just to represent the country, but also to inspire others to always give their best. In the short time I have been in Globe, not only have I been able to realize this goal, but I have also felt supported to carry on training and competing, which will hopefully one day land me in the Olympics.
For young athletes who want to pursue competitive sports while working or studying, there are a lot of things that I could say. It might sound cliché, but I think the most important thing is to always dream big, work hard, and never give up. There is no harm in dreaming big because it is what pushes me to continue working hard. And remember, rest is very important!
Life is a never-ending learning process. I always tell myself that with every challenge, test, or competition, it is not win or lose, pass or fail, but rather, it is always win or learn. If I were to sum everything up in one quote, it would probably be from one of the athletes I admire, Formula 1 driver Lewis Hamilton: Always remember no matter what happens, “Still we rise.”
I would like to give a shoutout to my family who have always been there with me since day 1, through highs and lows. I would like to thank my support team consisting of my coaches who have molded me into who I am today. Thank you to all my friends and fellow teammates who always push me to be better and keep growing.
Lastly, thank you to the Atletang Ayala Team, Globe, and the Employee Engagement Team for giving me the platform to inspire others.
Jonathan proves that even when your back is against the wall, "the only way is up." His dedication to both his sport and his role as a Ka-Globe shows us that resilience isn't about never getting tired, but knowing how to breathe through the pressure so you can rise again.
Do you have a personal "reset" technique like Jonathan’s 4-7-8 breathing? We’d love to hear how you stay grounded. Drop your tips in the comments below!
Stay tuned to our LinkedIn page for more stories of grit and growth from our Ka-Globe.
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