SHE was living her dream for the last few years, cruising through the clouds at over 30,000 feet where she served passengers with a smile in a navy-blue skirt suit adorned with a white floral scarf, making a great living while traveling the world at the same time.
The COVID-19 pandemic, however, turned that dream into a nightmare and left her grounded.
But it looks like Jade Zafra has found herself right where she wants to be, alive and kicking and back to her first love.
After being part of the latest batch of layoffs by Philippine Airlines early this year, the 2013 Southeast Asian Games gold medalist traded her flight attendant uniform for a familiar white kimono and a black belt as she reopened her taekwondo gym.
The former national taekwondo team star started the gym as a passion project back in 2015, two years after she ruled the women’s -57 kilogram division in the Myanmar SEA Games. But she had to let her trainers run the gym after she landed a coveted cabin crew job at PAL.
“PAL was one of my biggest dreams and working for PAL made me realize how grateful and blessed I am,” Zafra said. “Daming opportunities ang nag-open and dami ko nagawa.”
But as early as last year when the coronavirus broke out, Zafra had an inkling she would be retrenched sooner or later in an industry that’s among the hardest hit by the pandemic.
“Kahit masakit, kinokondisyon ko na yung sarili ko na anytime I might lose that job,” Jade admitted. “But as an employer also, I understand where the management is coming from. Whatever happens, I'll always be grateful to PAL.”
Getting laid off, though, has given her more time for her other endeavors, including a milk tea franchise business.
Most importantly, it led her back to taekwondo.
A licensed instructor by the Philippine Taekwondo Association, Zafra is back to being a hands-on trainer at Technik Taekwondo, which accepts students from toddlers to teenagers.
Now a mom herself to wide-eyed Matty, Jade currently has 20 students with the oldest at age 18 and the youngest being two-year-old Amelia, one of two adorable daughters of celebrity Andi Manzano-Reyes.
With the current health and safety protocols disallowing group gatherings, Zafra conducts private lessons either via online or face-to-face in clients’ residences, making sure she gets tested for COVID-19.
She tested negative each time but has seen positive results from her students’ performances, particularly from Olivia, Amelia’s 6-year-old sister who has already shown quick progress and boundless energy in their one-on-one sessions.

Seeing her students make those great strides is what motivates coach Jade.
In fact, it is not unusual for Jade to conduct extra training sessions, as many as five days per week, without extra charge, for those she saw promise in, applying national team training principles for them to reach their full potential.
Some of her 50-plus students have improved enough to not just compete, but also succeed in regional and invitational tournaments, among them Archie Gatdula, Renson Castillo, and Yvonne Vidallon.
Gatdula is a blue belt who beat advanced players, including black-belters, and captured gold medals in regional tournaments, and a silver medal in a national team selection tournament.
Castillo and Vidallon, for their part, are consistent gold medal winners in national tournaments.
Some of Zafra’s top students end up training with the University of Santo Tomas varsity team courtesy of coach Dindo Simpao. Gatdula was even offered a scholarship, but he had to back out at the last minute to focus on his studies.
It was in España where the 5-foot-11 Zafra honed her game and nurtured a collegiate career that saw her become a three-time Benavides awardee, eventually earning a national team callup and a stint with the 2010 Asian Games squad in Guangzhou.
A UST journalism graduate who briefly was part of the Spin.ph staff, Zafra wants her students to not just match, but surpass her athletic achievements.
“Gusto ko mag-produce ng much better pa sa akin, as in mas malayong mararating kaysa sa akin,” Jade said.

“Kasi ayaw ko naman na … parang failure yun as a coach na nag-open ka ng gym na ikaw mismo ang tumutok, tapos walang mangyayari sa mga students mo.”
To ensure her students are in a position to succeed, Zafra has brought reinforcements, tapping her husband, Karlo Ngitngit, a former University of the Philippines taekwondo varsity player with a degree in sports science, as the gym’s strength and conditioning coach, a coaching setup that sets their gym apart from others.
Zafra’s team can also offer the services of a nutritionist and dietician in Kathleen Cruzada for students who would like to be guided on what food and beverages should go into their bodies to ensure optimal performance.
These days, Zafra’s smartphone has been buzzing with inquiries from parents. She’s had a packed schedule since February, even getting an offer from a popular hotel to conduct Easter clinics for guests.
Jade is so dedicated that she spent her 31st birthday this month training Olivia and Amelia.
She may have lost a dream job for now, but she's doing what she loves - and with an even greater purpose this time.
Get more of the latest sports news & updates on SPIN.ph