What Stephanie Mercado remembers about mom Lydia De Vega

Mom Diay was her number one fan, and number one critic
Aug 14, 2022
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PHOTO: (Wake) Mark Villeza

AT THE wake of Lydia de Vega, family and friends paid tribute to the "fastest woman in Asia".

Former Petro Gazz Angels player Stephanie Mercado de Koenigswarter told Spin.ph that, before she embarked on her volleyball career, her mother supported her decision.

"Sabi nya before nung mag start ako mag play ng volleyball was… sabi niya mahirap, magiging mahirap, right?” she said. “But kung gusto ko talaga, pagpupursigahan ko, pagtiya-tiyagaan ko kasi yun yung sport na gusto ko.

She described her mother as both her number one fan, and her number one critic.

“[P]alagi sya may nakikitang hindi maganda kahit na maganda yung naging laro,” recalled De Koeningswarter.

"I think that was her way to encourage me to work harder."

De Vega would also remind her to eat properly, to sleep early, to keep her health up in order to perform well.

Stephanie feels that she's inherited the competitive spirit that propelled the sprint queen to nine SEA Games gold medals, two for Asian Games, and four at the Asian Athletics Championship.

“I think yung dugong palaban namin nung mom ko, kahit na matatalo… kahit na alam naming matatalo or natatalo na kami hindi parin mag-gi-give up,” she said.

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    Among those who attended the first night of the wake were PVL players Manilla Santos-Ng, who played for Choco Mucho Flying Titans; Cha Cruz-Behag of F2 Logistics Cargo Movers; and Melissa Gohing-Nacino of the Creamline Cool Smashers.

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    Flowers were spotted from the Philippine Sports Committee, Philippine Athletics and Track and Field Association, the Philippine Olympic Committee, the Philippine Racing Commission, and MVP Sports Foundation.

    Senators Bong Go, Joel Villanueva, and Koko Pimintel also sent flowers for the late Filipina sprinter.

    De Vega passed away on August 10 at the age of 57 after her fight with breast cancer. She is survived by her husband Paolo Mercado and her two children Stephanie and Jonathan.

    The wake is at the Heritage Memorial Park in Taguig but is limited to family and friends as of the moment. Public viewing will be announced soon, according to her family.



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    PHOTO: (Wake) Mark Villeza
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