From kid carrying cavans of rice to becoming an Olympian: Bacyadan’s Humble Beginnings

Before the roaring applause, the gratifying cheers, and the people wanting his autographs, Hergie Bacyadan was once the kid who helped his uncle carry cavans of rice in Tabuk City, Kalinga to support his schooling.

The first iKalinga Olympian who hails from Taloctoc, Tanudan, on September 9, shared his story of being that young girl studying at Southern Central School in Bulanao. Back then he knew his gender identity was male as he can perform activities men do.

At that time, he cannot concentrate on his studies as he always got into fist fights with the boys who bully him and always wait for him after class. This made him decide to go with his parents and continue his studies in Manila.

However, growing up and seeing his parents’ struggle to sustain the schooling of their six kids with three of them already in college, Hergie decided to go back to Tabuk and live with his uncle while he continued and finished his degree in Bachelor of Science in Criminology.

While under his uncle’s care, Hergie recounted helping him carry 50 sacks of rice while men watch and are in awe of his strength.

“Babae dayta, baka kunam nga lalaki,” he recalled his uncle bragging to the men at the time.

Sparring with men

His Herculean strength did not remain unnoticed as he was invited to train with Jude Saclag where he wrestled with a man and won. He was then recommended to join the National Wushu team in Manila where his strength immediately shone after defeating a national team athlete with his only two weeks of training.

Joining the national team opened him doors to international competitions. Among his preparations include sparring with men.

"Agdara agung ko, agva-violet iti sakak," he recalled being beaten by men. This kind of training, Hergie said, was among his advantages as he can no longer feel the blow of a woman as he already used to the strength of men landing on his body.

His continuous hard work from then was paid off as he won various international competitions for the past years. Among these include a gold medal in the 2022 Thailand Open International Boxing Tournament and the first Philippine gold medal in World Vovinam Championships in 2023.

Getting Back on His Feet

Hergie sure received a bag of medals from international competitions, but he faced many struggles behind those accolades that he teared up while recalling them in front of his ‘kailyans’ on Monday. These include not having faith and not believing in himself. He likewise admitted he also had some ‘kalokohans’ that almost made him completely quit playing combative sports if it were not for the support of his family and loved ones.

Hergie had to navigate a tough and rocky path, but he always got back on his feet especially when he received the call to play for the qualifying tournament for the 75kg boxing women category in the 2024 Paris Olympics.

When he defeated Venezuela in the second world qualifying, he finally told himself that everything he had went through is worth it. 

Always proud of his roots

When he finally got his goal of becoming an Olympian, Hergie who promised himself never to come home if he did not accomplish this goal came and meet his ‘kailyans’ who were eager to see him in person.

Hergie has always been proud of his roots and heritage that he always does a ‘sang-ni’ or a little Kalinga dance to show where he is from every time he scored or won a game. He has also been telling the media in his interviews that his fight is for his tribemates and kailyans.

“Haan nga maikkat kanyak nga I'm from Kalinga, from Taloctoc,” he stressed, adding he will always go back to where he came from.

While he lost in the 2024 Olympics, Hergie expressed he feels like a winner with the warm reception his kailyans accorded to him even when he was still in Paris for the game.

“This achievement is not mine. It is the culmination of the collective spirit of our people, our tradition, and the lessons passed down from our ancestors,” he concluded his message.

After his vacation in Kalinga, Hergie will return to training to prepare for a kickboxing match in Cambodia next month.