AT 32, Philippine volleyball icon Alyssa Valdez still finds herself navigating new firsts beyond the court.
The sport’s longtime “Phenom” has recently stepped into unfamiliar territory, now on the other side of the microphone as host of the Transition Playbook podcast.
It is a role far removed from packed arenas and pressure-filled matches, yet one that brings its own kind of nerves.
“Nakakakaba,” Valdez admitted.
A veteran of record-setting runs from high school to the professional ranks, with forays into film, reality television, and international competitions, Valdez confessed that being an interviewer unsettles her in ways few matches ever did.
She also served as a correspondent for the Philippine delegation in the recently concluded Southeast Asian Games in Bangkok, Thailand.
“I’m very nervous. Nakakapagod. It’s hours of talking,” Valdez told SPIN.ph following a live podcast recording in a Makati studio. “As an athlete, na-realize ko na ang dami palang kailangang i-consider. The timing, the context, your relationship with the person, everything.”
Alyssa's version of athletes on athletes
The Creamline cornerstone said podcasting was never part of her plan. In fact, it was something she never imagined herself doing at all.
“No, I never saw it coming. I never thought na mag-i-interview ako in my life,” she said. “But I’m very happy. I started this because I wanted to listen to the stories of other people, especially my fellow athletes.”
For Valdez, widely credited as the leading figure who fuelled volleyball’s rise in popularity in the country, the venture has become as much a personal journey, as it is a platform for others.
“I’m learning a lot, honestly,” she shared. “One thing I realized is I don’t put much effort into myself. I learned that things can be done better. Higher standards. Pwede palang ganito or ganyan.”
And in every conversation, she finds something new.
“I really get wisdom from the people I talk to.”
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