"I have always been the quiet and reserved type of person since I was little. I only made very few friends and had a hard time socializing in school. My childhood was heavily exposed to gaming. I truly enjoyed immersing myself in different worlds. Each game I played, I approached meticulously,  completing all achievements, unlocking every story and hidden feature, exploring all the wrong paths first before heading in the main direction, making sure I left no stone unturned.

 

When playing off-screen, I would incorporate gaming elements into the games I play with my friends like adventures on paper and roleplaying game cutscenes. I had  this weird habits - trying to copy the  moves of my favorite characters, considering their limited animations of old games. :))

​

As I grew up, I set my mind to turn my favorite characters into my inspiration and reference for the kind of person I wanted to be. They became the push I needed when an action needs patience and discipline.

 

Most of the characters I loved were fighters. We weren’t well-off financially, so I tried to self-study basic tricks whenever I had the space, and I kept my eyes open for opportunities to join free martial arts lessons and workshops. I was able to try Taekwondo, Aikido, Boxing, and Judo, and I was incredibly blessed to have crossed paths with my Wushu coaches, Mia Elaine Collao and Ronel Andaliza, who had the biggest impact on me in both the art and its values.

 

Cosplay, introduced to me by friends, became more than just a hobby - it became a driving force in my personal growth. It gave me reasons to push myself further in training, maintain my health, commit to goals, and gain new skills. Every performance became a chance to temporarily set aside my shyness, allowing me to shift my personality in different characters with confidence. Through cosplay, I found a way to merge my passions with self-development, all while having fun and making new friends. "