FOR the LGBTQIA+ youth, seeing someone like them succeed can mean everything.
It can be the difference between hiding and embracing who they are, between giving up and chasing a dream, and between believing they don't belong and realizing that they do.
That is why Josh Ybañez' story matters.
And it's not just because he is a three-time UAAP MVP, a former SEA V.League Best Libero, a two-time SEA V.League bronze medalist or a SEA Games bronze medalist.
It is because the 23-year-old University of Santo Tomas star represents something bigger than volleyball. He represents possibility.
At just 5-foot-7, Ybañez has spent his entire career defying expectations. Yet the greatest obstacle he overcame was not his height, nor the opponents standing across from him on the court.
It was the self-doubt he carried within himself.
Fighting one's inner demons
Speaking to SPIN.ph at the end of Alas Pilipinas' historic breakthrough campaign in the 2025 FIVB Men's Volleyball World Championship, Ybañez opened up about the insecurities that once threatened to derail the journey that would eventually make him one of Philippine volleyball's brightest icons.
Long before he became a household name, Ybañez was simply a young athlete searching for confidence. And like many members of the LGBTQIA+ community, that journey was far from easy.
The foundation of his dream was built at home as his earliest inspiration came from his older brothers, whose own athletic pursuits encouraged him to take up sports.
"I think my brothers have an influence sa akin nung bata pa ako kasi sila na ‘yung mga player talaga dati na nilo-look up ko. Ayun, na-inspire nila ako maglaro," said Ybañez.
Inspired, yes. Confident, not quite.
For years, Ybañez wrestled with insecurities that often overshadowed his talent.
"For me talaga, I think it's ‘yung self-doubt kasi kapag nagdududa ka sa sarili mo, ang hirap mag-proceed sa mga bagay-bagay. Ang hirap matuto kasi nga, ikaw minsan sa sarili mo, hindi mo pinaniniwalaan, kaya lahat dapat talaga simulan sa patitiwala sa sarili," said Ybañez.
The battle was relentless as every achievement he had was accompanied by uncertainty, with every opportunity met with questions on whether he was truly good enough.
"Ever since, kahit nu’ng bata pa ako, ano talaga ako e, mababa mababa ‘yung kumpyansa ko. Nagdududa talaga ako sa sarili ko," said Ybañez.
For many LGBTQIA+ individuals, those feelings are all too familiar, ranging from the pressure to fit in, the fear of being judged and the challenge of finding confidence in environments where acceptance is not always guaranteed.
Ybañez understands those realities and knows the importance of representation as the turning point in his own life came when he stopped allowing doubt to dictate his future. Instead, he chose to trust himself.
"Nu'ng na-change ko ‘yung perception ko sa buhay, na nagsisimula pala talaga lahat sa pagtitiwala sa sarili, I was able to achieve greater heights and na-achieve ko lahat ng mga na-achieve ko today," said Ybañez.
An obligation to inspire
Those greater heights transformed him into a local sporting icon. But somewhere along the way, Ybañez realized people were no longer just watching him as an athlete.
They were already looking up to him as a role model, especially the youth and the young members of the LGBTQIA+ community searching for someone who proves that they can succeed without changing who they are.
"I think I’m an inspiration to many, lalo sa mga young athletes, for the kids din ngayon na for sure na-inspire din naman sila sa amin sa Alas Pilipinas na maglaro," said Ybañez.
That realization has become one of the driving forces behind everything he does as he once knew what it felt like to need someone who proves that success is possible, someone who reminds you that your identity is not a limitation and someone who shows that being yourself and being great are not mutually exclusive.
"I’m so grateful na I have the opportunity na mag-inspire and mag-turo sa mga bata. I think it's a great way of giving back to the community at sobrang saya ko na nagagawa ko po ‘to ngayon," said Ybañez.
For Ybañez, inspiring others is not an obligation but a privilege, particularly when it comes to helping young people find the confidence he once struggled to discover himself.
"Ine-embrace ko siya in a way na gumagawa lang ako, as long as kaya kong gumawa at mgpakita ng maganda that will inspire other people, mina-maximize ko lang ‘yung opportunity na yun. Du’n ako nagfo-focus kung paano ako makapag-inspire ng ibang tao, lalo na ‘yung mga bata talaga," said Ybañez.
Josh's biggest win
This Pride Month, Ybañez' journey serves as a reminder that the most powerful victories are not always measured by wins but by the lives he has touched inspired along the way.
Those lessons didn't just come from the quirky and flashy volleyball star fans have learned to support and adore.
His journey was also a tale of a young LGBTQIA+ dreamer who decided to fight through and rise above social stigmas, and is for all the kids out there who dared to dream because someone like Josh Ybañez showed them that they can.
And for someone who once struggled simply to trust himself, there may be no greater accomplishment than that.
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