AN athlete literally her whole life, the only time Bea Daez-Fabros put down a basketball is when she picked her daughter up, officially taking on the pledge of motherhood.
Having conquered a pandemic pregnancy, the former UP Fighting Maroons star sees a triple blast in this year's month of May. Before the month's end, she'll have celebrated her first Mother's Day, her 28th birthday, and her baby Lucia's first birthday.
It's already been a year, but Daez-Fabros continues to experience every moment in her life as a new mom with pure excitement and enthusiasm.
"Becoming a mom is a life-changing event. My life before was just all about myself, achieving personal goals, playing the game I love, and progressing in my career. But now is a different matter altogether. It's putting your family first, and everything else just comes after," she told SPIN Life.
Name anything related to basketball, Daez-Fabros has probably done it. That's how much she loved the hustle of the game.
Post-UAAP days, Daez-Fabros took on a broadcasting stint and became the first-ever female basketball analyst in the collegiate level.
But just when she thought her playing career was over, she was offered a spot in the Gilas Pilipinas Women's roster, which she, of course, accepted. And while juggling a full-time corporate job, she also sidelined as a commentator and host for sports leagues.
But when she found out she was pregnant, she knew she had to set the ball aside, and box out towards a different sets of priorities approaching her way.
Switching courts
"Yes the motherly instincts and being affectionate and hands on just come out naturally when you become a mom. But I still believe that the values I learned from the game remained as I take on this new path," she said.
Daez-Fabros feels that the personal discipline of being an athlete helped her become the consistent mother that she is now.
"One of the values is loving the grind, the routine of waking up so early kahit pagod ka, the way of doing routinary things with excitement, that whole mentality. I've [had] it since day one," she said.
"I don't know how I was able to do my work, cook, clean the house, take care of my baby in a single day and still have the motivation to do it all the next day. This is the kind of energy and mindset I bring to the table, quite similar to that being an athlete. 'Yung tipong pagod ka, pero go pa rin."
On a daily basis, Daez-Fabros usually gets up at 6 a.m. to pump and prepare for her day before Lucia wakes up at around 6:30 to 8 a.m. She attends to her full-time job and cooks their family's meals during breaks.
A day ends at around 10 to 11 p.m. for her. Tough, yes, but she's enjoying the process. Of course, she receives the best assist from her husband, Noel.
Duty calls
Just when she thought she was just about done with basketball, she was called up to be the face of the WNBL, the first-ever professional hoops league for females in the country.
She announced her new post late last year.
She said, "Nung nalaman ko 'yon alam ko ito na eh, ito na 'yung pinapangarap naming mga female ballers for the longest time. It was the game I love the most.
"With my love for basketball, I can be taking breaks, but I can never really stay far away from it. It is the reason why I am the way I am as my life revolved around it."
Amid the uncertainty of sports leagues around the country, Bea expressed her utmost willingness to get back in shape, as she figures she wanted to grace the WNBL stage as soon as possible.
"I'm a mom and my number one priority is my family, but I cannot forget myself also, this is what keeps me sane. Kaya sana, makalaro talaga ako sa WNBL soon," she said.
While basketball, for now, just sits resting by the sidelines, mommyhood being her current game, she's hoping to get her rhythm back soon.

"I know eventually when she gets older, I'll have more time to do more. I'm planning to get back in shape when she turns 1 year old," she said.
But that's for later. For now, Daez-Fabros finds it most rewarding when her baby's eyes speak the sweetest thing, without uttering a single word.
"Seeing her grow healthy and happy is everything to me, and the way she looks at me, iba e. She knows that you're her mom, and everytime your eyes meet, she seems so in love, that's the best thing for me," she shared.
Would she also want her daughter to become an athlete?
"I will definitely introduce Lucia to sports cause I really believe in the values of being an athlete, but she can choose whichever she wants and I'll be supportive."
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