Dual pursuit: Agatha Wong elegantly balances wushu, medical school - Rappler

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WINNER. Wushu standout Agatha Wong has been a consistent medal force for the Philippines.

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Agatha Wong knows how to make a quick change.

One moment, the wushu star took center stage as one of the athletes picked to model Team Philippines’ gear during the send-off ceremony for delegates bound for the Asian Games.

Not long after, Wong was back in her medical school uniform. 

That scene captured the balancing act the 28-year-old has embraced over the past few years as she juggles the demands of medical school and the rigors of wushu — a dual pursuit she hopes will pay dividends in her quest for a golden performance in the Asian Games. 

“I really pushed myself to do both at the same time. I don’t think I would sacrifice one for the other,” Wong said in a mix of Filipino and English. 

Wong, who graduated with a Diplomatic Affairs degree from the College of St. Benilde in 2018, is now a third-year medical student at the University of the East Ramon Magsaysay Memorial Medical Center.

But even as she pursues her dream of becoming a doctor, Wong continues to excel in wushu, winning gold medals in the previous two Southeast Asian Games, as well as a silver and bronze in the 2023 and 2025 editions of the World Wushu Championships, respectively.

Those results are the fruits of an arduous routine, with Wong squeezing in twice-a-day training sessions between her studies. 

“Sometimes I have full days and sometimes I can’t handle the gravity of my schedule, but that’s all part of it,” said Wong. 

For Wong, her journey shows that it is possible to chase multiple dreams despite the hardships that come with them. 

“I think if people keep telling that you have to choose one, I fully advise, don’t let them dictate what you can or can’t do,” she said. 

“That’s why I really try to, I guess, be an example for future generations that you can also be a medical student or law student and also do something you love [like] sports, which for me it is. It’s hard, but I like what I do. That’s enough for me.”

Having a strong support system has made all the difference for Wong, with UERM and the Wushu Federation Philippines backing her dual aspirations. 

“I’m just very grateful that my school is very supportive. I think I’m kind of the only athlete there who is part of the national team. They’re really trying to support me in whatever way they can and I really appreciate that,” she said. 

Wong stands as one of the Philippines’ top medal prospects in the Asian Games being staged in Nagoya, Japan, following her showing in the past two editions. 

She bagged bronze in the women’s taijiquan and taijijian event in 2018 in Jakarta, Indonesia, then fell short of a medal repeat in 2023 in Hangzhou, China, finishing fifth behind China’s Tong Xin, Brunei’s Basma Lachkar, Hong Kong’s Chen Suijin, and Malaysia’s Sydney Chin.

As Wong eyes the top prize in her third Asian Games stint, the same opponents stand in her way, with Japan’s Shiho Saito and Singapore’s Zeanne Law — the gold and silver medalists in the previous world championships — also posing as huge threats. 

“I think as long as I do my best and as long as I avoid mistakes and as long as I’m very hyper-vigilant about taking care of my body, that I’m injury-free, I’ll be okay,” said Wong. 

“We just came from a two-month-long intensive training in China, so I think my teammates and I are very prepared and we’re just excited to be competing.” 

Medal or not, though, Wong is proud of how far she has come — from a child who casually took up the sport to becoming one of the faces of wushu in the country.

And now, she ranks among the most prominent Filipino athletes donning the national colors in the Asian Games, a list topped by the likes of tennis star Alex Eala, gymnastics ace Carlos Yulo, pole vault standout EJ Obiena, to name a few. 

“It’s definitely very surreal because I didn’t think I would be at this level of a competition, especially if I were to talk to my younger self, I don’t think she would believe me,” said Wong. “But here I am and I’m really excited.” – Rappler.com