After Asiad gold, EJ Obiena visits alma mater Chiang Kai Shek College
Filipino pole vaulter EJ Obiena visits his alma mater, Chiang Kai Shek College, on October 7, 2026 after his golden campaign in the 2026 Asian Games. Courtesy: Chiang Kai Shek CollegeMANILA – EJ Obiena returned to his alma mater following his gold medal win and record-breaking performance at the 20th Asian Games in Aichi-Nagoya, Japan.
Obiena visited Chiang Kai Shek College in Manila on Wednesday morning, the place where he studied in his primary years and where he began his athletics journey.
“I spent a good decade here of my life, especially growing up. This is where I started learning. I started growing up. This is where I think my fundamentals were really good. And with that, you know, I love to see the school,” he told ABS-CBN News.
“I envy them because there’s a lot of renovations happening. With that said, yeah, I love seeing the people here. My teachers are still here. Some of the officials are still here and yeah, it always brings memories, you know, like, you like to visit your school from time to time and that’s something I also like to do,” Obiena added.
During his visit to Chiang Kai Shek College, the pride of Manila was accompanied by his mother Jeanette Obiena and met with his former coaches including Diana Sy, teachers and the school board.
With the wave of interviews and commitments, the two-time Asian Games gold medalist said the visit to his alma mater felt like a breath of fresh air amid his busy schedule.
“I just want to say hello, if there’s an opportunity, talk to my teachers like, yeah, interact with the people who shape the way I see the world. So it’s nice, you know, to feel a little bit normal,” Obiena said.
Filipino pole vaulter EJ Obiena visits his alma mater, Chiang Kai Shek College, on October 7, 2026 after his golden campaign in the 2026 Asian Games. Courtesy: Chiang Kai Shek CollegeThe Olympic pole vaulter remains grateful for all the support not just from his alma mater, but from the Filipino people.
Obiena remains hopeful his achievements can help inspire more Filipino kids to try out pole vault and the sport becomes more accessible to all.
“Thank you for supporting me personally. You give meaning to the things that we do. It’s more than just jumping on a stick. We’re representing the 110 million Filipinos and that means so much more than just winning a gold medal. Thank you so much,” he said.