After Pocari Sweat defeated Creamline in four sets last Thursday in the Premiere Volleyball League, a member of the Pocari Lady Warriors immediately scanned the audience for someone.
Spotting him, 27-year-old Fille Cainglet-Cayetano walked over to her three-year-old son, Ino Philip, and wrapped him around a bear-hug.
Fille, an already familiar face in the court, just came back from giving birth to her second child and is bringing along during games her own personal fans club.
“I always planned to return after my second baby. Nobody convinced me to come back. Probably, what pushed me to play again is that I want my kids to be able to see me play. Also, my husband is very supportive of me playing volleyball again,” Fille, married to film director and lawmaker Lino Cayetano, said.
Since grade school, Fille has been balancing academics and sports and so juggling her new role as a mother seems to be a piece of cake for the Bacolod-native.
“I think it’s easier for me to balance everything because I’m used to being a student-athlete, balancing school and volleyball ever since I was in grade school. So now that I’m a MAMATHLETE, I feel like it’s the same thing,” Fille shared.
Cayetano shares her daily routine, something she strives to do well.
“I usually try to wake up early so that I can eat breakfast with the kids and then I try to work out in the morning.
Afterwards, I eat lunch with my kids, play with Ino and Nei Nei. Then when they take their afternoon naps, I do a few errands, like buy things for the house, groceries, fix the house, set up a few meetings,” Fille said.
“Then when I have time, I’ll take a nap with Ino. When I wake up, I go to training. After training, when I get home and Ino is still awake, [then] that’s the best part [it] because he gets to greet me, and I can tuck him in bed,” she added.
Easy as pie, right?
The former Atenean is taking her time and making the most of being a mom at an early age.
“I always wanted to have kids early on. My mother had us when she was young, and right now it feels good to be able [to] hang out with her like a friend and sister. It’s challenging but at the same time fulfilling,” Fille said of early motherhood.
On Mother’s Day, Fille Cainglet-Cayetano, as daughter and mom, continues her balancing act as she now enjoys the best of both worlds. (RIO DELUVIO)