Paris Olympics-bound Sam Catantan — The Philippines’ top fencer today | Game On

Sam Catantan is undeniably the country’s best fencer right now, bar none.
As she joins Game On, the Paris-bound Olympian talks about the sport that has challenged her to be the best version of herself. She walks us through the rare chance of receiving an NCAA Division 1 scholarship, bouncing back from her first major injury, and the roller coaster of emotions after securing an Olympic berth for the Philippines.

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fencing Olympics dreams favorites yeah that’s all and some Penn State stories with our first ever female olympian fencer Santan on this episode of Game on the podcast against all bias referee and my Last Action for was an attack we made it and I just started crying [Applause] [Music] what’s up sports fans welcome to game on the podcast the first sports podcast of GMA brought to you by GMA Regional TV GMA Synergy and GMA digilab my name is Anon roas you can catch us on GMA news and GMA Sports on YouTube and on Facebook and of course on Apple and Spotify I am coach Hammer Martin Antonio and my name is Martin aier on this episode of Game on the podcast we are joined by a very special guest we’re all very excited G network excited she came from the United States she just came back she’s going to be here for a little bit here in the Philippines before flying out to Paris she’s the former team captain of the Penn State fencing team she is the very first Filipino fencer to qualify for the Olympics in 32 years and the first female fencer Olympian fencer in Philippine history let’s all welcome I could have done a better intro per it is what it is let’s all welcome finally here is Miss Sam kantan thank you po thank you so much po for having me it’s an honor po to be here no it’s it’s an honor for you to join us here on the Pod very excited say Sam I I remember doing an interview VI was it 2021 I think 2021 uned States and ever since um sa pen State and um an po next year po um master’s degree program pen State and I have one more year of Eligibility and but you’ve been competing in the United [Music] fening but we’re very proud homegrown Talent Sam Katan okay we have to start with with the very beginning so I started fencing when I was n and actually start free sports clinic program district one City District Delon Lang po soang HS and basketball courts public schools around Frisco so um I and summer 2011 and um and of course initially and after 9 years old Shout Out free Coast yeah shout out first free clinics fencing clinics oh this is my my first time hearing about this uh um so 9 years old and then afterwards High School Varity Ka Ba school school po okay Powerhouse okay okay oh go ahead see um so um actually first coach coach Christian canas head coach UE fencing te so um I started with um coach christianas so and he’s the one and journey throughout High School career okay was it a forgotten conclusion that you were going to go to UE because knowing that U is a power house and you fell in love with the sport very early actually coming toing and um I was never really into sports so first sport so and actually when I started scholarship UAP schools Manila okay you’re 2 2 years old now and you are the best fencer in the country bar none when you became MVP of the girls division of the uaap in season 82 did you already realize that hey I’m good at this and perhaps I could compete in the world stage actually before I was always third tournaments actually even my first uaap um um tournament I was only second during the individual event so um I settled Rookie of the Year po but then following years consistent number one in the individual event and consistent MVP since um grade up to grade 12 so I think Excel I just really love the sport and um very passionate okay after the high school level ranks you know you you guys of course it’s a Powerhouse um school it’s a Powerhouse team but you were the biggest superstar in that Powerhouse team okay talk about your Collegiate days first with with you from the other schools um how did you take that challeng actually like every day motivation is to be better than myself yesterday motivation every day and um an po I was always third tal ever since so so every tournament you want to be on top at the same time that gave me different kind of motivation po to strive harder and hopefully po to be the best po sooner or later wow okay competitive juices we were recovering the UAP before very dominant oh up to up to now actually up to now it’s the most they’re the most consistent program since coach am has been there and the consistency from Juniors to seniors players that’s right okay s has a very interesting story I asked you this um when you went to the states for the first time I think you were a year in already in pen State pen State um Sam you were in Malaysia you were invited so um every year po my training camp Malaysia and um um host training campus coach non panan PO he was a former national team Po from Thailand he’s also a foil fencer and actually and then I think thir and that year po the head coach of pen state was invited there as a guest and that was my senior year of high school so all along us or States so very um quick decision pen State okay when was this when was this what year was this 2020 po 2020 okay it was in the middle of the pandemic 2019 camp and then 2020 pum States this was in the middle of the pandemic okay [Music] [Music] okay times because that was the height of the pandemic everybody was scared you know covid was just uh has just started spreading everywhere right um Embassy G see talk about that that Journey first in 2020 on your way to the US so actually po I came to us spring semester one semester because of Co and actually sign for me not to go unexpected opportunity very um um family family or anything so um but then I realize OPP it fell on my lap and who am I po to take it away from me so I think I made um one of the best decisions Po in my life when I accepted po the full Grand scholarship it’s division one big five one of the most storied schools in the US bro but you have to watch the Vlog oh my gosh all this okay so now 2020 Hammer how big of a deal this is this is Penn State competes in NCAA division one small steps before we go to the actual competitions how was your transition there uh how was your adjustment that’s a different world it is a different world English language of course secondary for Filipinos right so it was a lot easier but how was your adjustment in your first months in the US I was very very very scared coming to pen State back to zero not just family New York psylvia it’s still a 5 hours drive po to get to Penn State and um back to zero friends family and even po the teammates and coaches so it was very hard PO for me but at the same time po I was also very lucky because of the pandemic po so I came there po it was online classes so only athletes po campus so um build my second family for example classes and if my other students lunch and dinner every so right away after a month and a half I found my Lally my second family at pen state so I mean a month and a half the conditions back then helped you out in forging an immediate Bond yes with your teammates imagine that you know these are world class facilities that you have access to regularly with them that’s right under NCA rules and of course rules soaches they do it on their own that’s right Sam you have this nice post on Instagram you posted it March 30 2021 NCA fencing championships you had the Philippine flag over your shoulders describe the feeling of you know taking that leap of faith going over there and representing the Philippines still not forgetting what it means to the entire country to have you over there in the US and representing ever since I was [Music] young this is something something um as a long-term plan um it has always been my dream to represent the country and for me to be able to represent Philippines even NCAA feeling I was very very proud po to represent our country and um actually po I think I I was the first Filipino po to um have um a scholarship po when it comes to fencing po s um NCA po us and I think hopefully um that open doors of opportunities Filipino young fencers is possible so hopefully unties us Filipino fencers Excel not just in the Philippines but also in NCA stage in the US eventually you became a captain for the Penn State fencing team you’re a Filipino you were the outsider um once and now you became the team captain um was was there a competition particular competion okay you can lead this team how did it happen so actually team captain so not just the coach decision but also the whole team’s decision actually my freshman year I never imag Captain um language barrier first of all and I’m the kind of person po usually um I just like to observe more po than um speak what’s on my mind po so um being a captain po that’s like one of the hardest things that I have to do at but at the same time I needed to do it because I needed to improve that side character and um I’m very thankful as their Captain po last year last season but unfortunately po um right after po I was elected as a captain po okay okay um frh just last year you know you got the injury um is this your first or was that your first major injury yes po first major injury first major actually usually palang experience injury yes wow okay so this is an ACL injury that you needed to overcome that moment I I know it’s it’s a little bit painful but can you describe to us just for a little bit okay this is bad what was that like for you I heard something so neveri um flection po so that moment po I realize it’s actually something really bad and the qualifying year the whole year po um for fencing po um the um qualifying tournaments po started April 2023 up to April 2024 so competitions for you to be able to gain points for to make it to Paris wow okay and then for sure your road to recovery was was painful okay how how many months exactly before you got back to the game I know po um I think after seven and a half months po I started fencing again that’s fast a bz usually when you have ACL injuries you got five months to recover and then um for you to get um uh return to play and then for every month that you spend training and not going through contact it lessens your uh injury reoccurrence by 33% it’s one of the talks that uh I attended understudy so for total full participation full speed N9 months and then for your neural science totally you feel like it takes two years for elite level athletes to come back as fast as that and with the sports medicine that your uh school has it’s it’s fast and now you’re an Olympian okay okay Sam um of course I I saw one of your posts you rehab actually the very beginning of your rehab I think that was your first um rehab session I I forget what you posted but I like the quote that that came with it um did it make you like a tougher person you know your your your whole recovery process for this did you come out as a tougher and a better person afterwards from doing everything every day having morning practice and evening practice to trying to teach myself how to walk and exercise every day to try to activate my muscle for almost almost um two months so walking biking soti and at the same time to really trust the progress um experience even the very little um thing MH yeah that was K the highest of highest and you know the lowest of lows in in in your career you know what was your very first experience in fencing like after actually po I started fencing po around I think beginning of Feb Po and then my first tournament po was last week Feb 24 so actually videos so where did you get your procedure done or doy K do p arthoscopy and then you did your rehab there so rehab po AK for for a month and a half until I’m able to walk and travel with and then us so us first while going back and I’m a defensive player po so for me for the that was very very but at the same time actually to um improve my attack more and to be more confident and right now actually I think I fence more than before 100% back when it comes to physical strength even qualifi tournament functional St ups and stabilizers so how how long was your June 9 June 9 23 23 po yes po so April 10 months you’re an animal I think the fact that you are an Olympian now justifies that you have successfully made the long road back from injury to returning to top form let’s talk about April 27 2024 I was reading about your dramatic comeback to qualify and make it to the Olympics in Paris you were in the United Arab Emirates caban MOA Kazakhstan you were down 12 to 13 time out 13 all what was going through your mind now you know this is it it’s crunch time this is my shot to make it to the Olympics and make history and the 32-year drought what was going through your mind during that moment you got cramps in in in that whole thing right okay see go ahead so actually coming to that tournament I was very very stressed two weeks before and then for some reason when I aren realiz how grateful and best I am to be there 10 months ago realiz we didn’t even for that tournament so um for me to make it in that tourament grateful and for me to make it sa final bout tal um gra po so um so finals match of course very um stressful but at the same time enjoy during during the match but referee opponent so even when we started about event which weapon and I’m a foil fencer so the first two touch but then Mach weap so um touches so the whole time the whole tournament enjoyable for me but not the finals match so very frustrating and then bad calls I think around five bad calls and um I think 133 actually I think muscle straction um hamstrings so 133 I had to take a medical break for 5 minutes and I can win this bout but I have no control with the referee and his decision so no matter what even though like I know I can make it um decision so I tried as much as possible to focus and ignore the noises around me even were really surprised about what was happening the score ended 15 to4 how good did that feel Against All Odds biased referee against how did that feel that you wony fashion and I became really really emotional first of all as a fener and my Last Action was an attack so um first of all um referee and um second of all um 10 months ago that qualifying tournament and Olympics fencing and especially to represent Philippines in the world biggest stage soas is we made it and I just started crying first off congratulations 32 years is a long I mean the last time was Walter Torres Barcelona Spain sir St Fernandez the Dream Team competed so that’s a that’s ages ago that’s how old I am 32 my God Sam of course you’re the first Filipino fencer in 32 years to make it to the Olympics but you’re the first Filipina ever to make it um how special is that for you actually up until now it’s um a very surreal feeling I think tour but of course above anything else I’m very grateful Philippine fencing Paris 2024 and of course without the help and the support of the whole fencing community and of course um my second family us pen State fencing teamate you know what uh I just realized here there was so much noise of course at that time as well you know I I don’t even need to bring it up so much noise surrounding like the fencing World here in the Philippines you know mental battles from her road to recovery to to being competitive again to qualifying external so it’s just great to kind of give our audience a perspective on what you guys go through you’re competing at this level and in the future hopefully we can lessen the noise and let them focus on on on their craft so how old are you now s 22 Oly actually peen around early 30 if all is after her injury everything continues as planned so we’re looking at a buildup for for Philippine fencing and you’re the poster girl for it okay Sam I want to know as a first time Olympian what are your goals let’s dream bigger let’s aim higher okay like in every tournaments I just always want to compete at the highest level I could and right now we’re going to try to prepare um and we’re going to try to train with the best of the best um even in Europe um um fencers and of course my goal is just to compete at my highest level considering I came from an injury same confidence when it comes to um fencing but at the same time nothing is impossible this coming Olympics so maybe hopefully by God’s grace freshman NCA just just compete compete no knowledge of your opponents Underdog mentality offense [Music] Underdog we have arrived at the part of our show where we ask our guest his or her favorite athlete of all time or as we like to say here on the show fot f8 so Sam kantan who is your favorite athlete of all time um Lee for from the US she’s also a fencer oh Phil Filipino ameran fencer um um at the very young age she was able to qualify in the Olympics I think Senior High School first Olympics and last Olympics she was able put to get the gold medal for the US okay how do you think you would Faire against her in a match who would win what what would the score be have you met her yes po you met her actually and she’s very nice to all Filipino athletes actually okay and she considers like Heritage and every match Nam po it’s always a 5050 so it’s a tossa yes po it’s a tossa well you did speak about confidence earlier confidence athletes from other countries so it’s good that you have that confidence even against your idol first you look you look up to her um actually I think first and then for some reason freshman so so never actually hello I’m Sam and then she’s palang enang per from time toats message so talaga Phil um per siak College um notame po notame the PowerHouse po very dominant Domin okay work hard until your Rivals become your friends wait how old is she now um early 30s po early 30s so outside uhing right now yes our first Olympic gold medalist and journey to be able to get there very inspiring having that kind of moment as well like that’s um an every athlete’s dream okay so from that let’s go to a light segment here Sam okay special segment favorites favorites we’ll give you a topic and then favorite that’s out of the way already I’m kidding okay so [Music] Sam school subject sa pen State my favorite favorite subject accounting what yeah because she’s taking up a master’s degree in accounting right if you weren’t a fencer what do you think you would be cuz accoun what job or occupation do you think you would have actually ever since ever favorite subject is math so maybe I would go um engineering but probably still something related with math we see something in common here because Joan who came in in a previouse mar favorite next coach Hammer oh okay since shout out to Frisco what’s your favorite street food um Street Food ququ okay Anka okay In fairness Done In fairness done beautiful is done okay be nicely done nicely done um Philippine ation and so far your favorite place in the US UT po UT to see the Grand Canyon po Oh you mean Arizona Arizona Grand cany actually AR anyway local Naman Philippines batanes po batanes wow okay have you been Philly I mean it’s near uh okay I hate Philly why wow wow wow okay that’s no the city the city now this conversation just got a lot more interesting why why how come Martin’s been to Philadelphia I’ve been to Philadelphia I I I did I love b b the areas I’ve been po it’s just very scary okay philth Phil it’s closer to Pennsylvania and usually tour the most the rowdiest crowd they have the rowdiest crowd in sports and if you’re beating Temple pH [Music] team hey look we’re not throwing shade on Philadelphia okay actually the reason I wanted to ask was that um obviously you you like food right do you like cheese steaks um not really not really anything Philadelphia I guess my question goes out the window I was going to ask Pats King of Steaks or Goos I’m a pat guy I like how she actually said that that’s the first thing that she said I hatefully okay I don’t know the down the exactly so if you’re playing against the home team you would hate Philly I love it okay goam okay um other than fencing and training what do you do on your downtime I watch Netflix and usually sometimes I read usually it takes me forever to finish a book finish a book followup question what what what’s your uh bench watch um Ben watch actually I I want to watch um rewatch for Game of Thrones yeah it’s my it’s the best um series for I think Game of Thrones that’s a long rewatch though I think they just released like a new episode of House of dragons season season two so looking forward to that of the in between trainings to at least get two episodes in any favorite movies favorite films say talog FM films Hollywood for um movies for I think Real Steel Jack what that’s that’s a surprising answer Miss K I mean that was a badass film though but wow Real Steel again and again I actually almost cried in that movie okay B it feel no there’s a dramatic part there associate foil [Music] robot okay anyway okay next Filipino film probably it takes a man and a [Music] woman yes romcom yes a man if you could have any superpower what would you choose and what would you use that superpower for probably um wait how do you say it if you can like travel time something time travel yes time travel time travel um um of course like there are certain po experiences that you want to experience again sometimes so you would want to go back um in that time travel is different from teleportation teleportation is one place to another I think time travel PO is is what I me m Nightcrawler and then so bishop and cable expen period in time I wish 6ur dinosaur age okay W Nam okay okay Coach okay so you’re going with your mom to Paris to your dad um um a medal um for my parents yes that’s the best follow question followup question where would you go on that date to France after the Olympics with your boyfriend so where do you want to have let’s say one one I did not expect this from go Cham that’s actually the best question he’s asked in the whole existence of the podcast actually probably people just a nice breakfast po outside um a typical um French um Street po usually po an po um black coffee croissant and Quan po best let’s say Olympics can you can you dress up tonight Sam you’re 22 right so you’re still part of the genz era J what’s your favorite app in your phone Instagram oh Instagram I like it nice Instagram because I feel like Instagram more Millennials will you know pick [Music] this Instagram photos and just a random video Po from different people um tell a story Po and that’s really interesting any any sport do you watch sports other than fencing um um basketball volleyball and right now po um us football NFL NFL let’s go there let’s go there that’s um College college college so what do you think about James Franklin he a fun guy what’s your favorite what’s your favorite sports team sports team I would say pen State football team yeah barley I like that I like that we have the best crowd I’m not going to lie okay I think the shoe has something to say about it viewers because Penn State is a topnotch program you know you got all the facilities there you got the gear I don’t want to compare but equipment Mo when you got there night and day night and day cuz everything is provided and you get the D1 experience okay this again just describe to us how how uh surprised were you when you saw everything complete how would you describe your the very first time that you learned about every all of those po I never researched anything about pen State really M tala so very surprising the [Music] right in front when you enter the cus it’s right there that’s the first thing that you would see and then um of course the gears actually for the um four [Music] years when it comes po gears and you just need to ask and they they will give you more wow and the reason why this is significant is because shops fencing gear but before when I was I had a very short fencing era and during that time there was only one store you know what Anon could have been an Olympian if he started early if he started early when he was n out Rafel andreano he was the coach okay what’s your favorite pizza topping H what’s your favorite pizza topping um probably just cheese different kinds of cheese cheese okay what’s the best pizza or where’s the best pizza for you in the US New York definitely New York it’s okay this one I want to ask because throughout this interview despite the fact that you know you’re already Americanized so to speak what was the expression that you added when you started you know trying to fit in with the Americans the people in the states like like like parang you know what did you realize now we this is something that I added to my vocabulary you know but for some reason they were very surprised English and their accent is not as strong mhm not as strong East Co know know I know that’s why I’m [Music] impressed okay um of all the gear that was given to you your favorite piece of Team gear that you got from Penn State um probably their hoodies M Lions yes navy blue navy blue navy blue with a big swosh on it big check outside probably a hat like a regular hat mm Hood Pate logo Sam Nam the is not going thank you so so much to our very first Olympian female fencer missam Katan thank you Sam okay any shout outs you want to do here since you’re here already sa Coast Coast okay um shout out family of course kantan family and um friends teammates tala Sam how do they follow you online because a lot of people are interested mes Olympics how do they follow you online um Instagram po Sam Katan Sam kantan okay that’s your me favorite IG Sam Katan thank you so much thank you so much that ends another fruitful very productive conversation with a legend in the making right here in Philippine Sports miss samat tantan the very first fencer female fencer to qualify for the Olympics and the first fencer in 32 years at coming or representing the Philippines to qualify uh in the Paris Olympics that was such an interesting conversation I hope it inspired everybody here thank you as well to our viewers and our listeners for supporting us you guys could find us on different platforms Facebook YouTube Spotify please continue to support us and for more inspiring sitd Downs with some of the most accomplished and popular sports Personalities in the Philippines tap in like And subscribe GMA Sports pH my name is name is Anon Ro as always do catch and support the other GMA podcasts on Apple and on Spotify coach Hammer Martin Antonio and this has been Martin aier thank you for watching game on the podcast [Music]