By MARK REY MONTEJO
Samantha Catantan is one happy and proud athlete today: after a memorable debut in the Paris Olympics, she returned to the US and earned her diploma in accountancy at the Pennsylvania State University.
“Olympian [to] Accountant,” wrote the 22-year-old Catantan on her Instagram post.
Despite the challenges of being an athlete preparing for her maiden performance in the biggest sporting spectacle, the fencing standout was able to attend her classes and finish her degree.
All on top of her recovery from an ACL injury.
She dedicated her life milestone to her loved ones.
“Para sayo to ma & pa!” she added.
The foil fencer made waves in her Olympic debut, beating Brazilian Mariana Pistoia (15-13) in Table of 64 and giving Italian veteran and FIE world ranked No. 2 Arriana Errigo a worthy battle before succumbing 12-15 in Final 32.
Catantan, a product of the free fencing class, highlighted her qualification in Summer Games by breaking the 32-year drought of Filipino fencers in the quadrennial meet or since Sports Commissioner Walter Torres competed in 1992 Barcelona Games.
It was a dramatic triumph for Catantan when she beat Kazakhstan’s Sofiya Aktayeva, 15-14, in the Asia-Oceania Zonal Olympic Qualifier in Fujairah, UAE to book her Paris ticket while dealing with an injury.
