Lance Joseph Martinez

Juliana Gomez Calls SEA Games Journey 'A Rare Privilege' as She Competes With Father Richard Gomez

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<p>A feat that goes far beyond podium finishes and medal counts unfolded at the<strong> Southeast Asian (SEA) Games</strong> in <strong>Thailand</strong>, as fencer <strong>Juliana Gomez</strong> and her father, veteran athlete<strong> Richard Gomez</strong>, proudly carried the Philippine flag as part of the national delegation.</p><p>Their participation marked a rare and heartwarming milestone, making them the only father-and-daughter tandem competing in the biennial regional meet.</p><div><br/></div><div style="text-align:center"><span class="fr-img-caption fr-fic fr-dib" style="width:700px;display:block"><span class="fr-img-wrap"><img src="https://od2-image-api.abs-cbn.com/prod/editorImage/1765945234575richardgomezph_1749220560_3649048999157751994_13100178.jpg" style="width:700px" class="fr-fic fr-dib"/><span class="fr-inner">Photo from @richardgomezph</span></span></span></div><div><br/></div><p>For Juliana, the experience was nothing short of surreal. Representing the country alongside her father—albeit in different sports—was already a victory in itself. The young fencer admitted that she could hardly put into words how meaningful it was to share such a historic moment with someone who has not only been her biggest supporter, but also her inspiration.</p><p>Juliana suited up for the <strong>Women’s Individual Épée</strong> event, while Richard competed as part of the <strong>Philippine Sporting Clays Team</strong> in shooting, bringing home the silver medal. Though they fought in separate arenas, the pride of wearing the same national colors bonded their journeys together.</p><p>“I feel really blessed, first and foremost, because my dad gets to compete… He&#x27;s still healthy enough to do that. He&#x27;s still strong enough. Secondly, it&#x27;s such a privilege to be able to fight for the country. Together with my dad, I feel like that&#x27;s a very rare privilege,” Juliana shared in an ambush interview with the <strong>Philippine Olympic Committee </strong>media pool<strong></strong>, later posted by <strong>ABS-CBN Sports</strong> on Facebook.</p><div><br/></div><div style="text-align:center"><span class="fr-video fr-dvb fr-draggable" contenteditable="false" draggable="true"><video class="fr-draggable" controls="" src="blob:https://od2-workbench-web.abs-cbn.com/326ff6f2-4b85-482f-bef6-29ac08b69896" style="width:925px;height:525px">Your browser does not support HTML5 video.</video></span></div><div><br/></div><p>The Gomez family’s sporting legacy, in fact, began with Richard. Long before Juliana picked up a fencing sword, her father had already built an impressive résumé as a multi-sport athlete. Over the years, Richard competed internationally and competitively in <strong>fencing</strong>, <strong>rowing</strong>, <strong>sports shooting</strong>, and <strong>volleyball</strong>. His fencing career, in particular, brought him notable success, as he clinched silver medals in the <strong>1997 SEA Games</strong> in <strong>Jakarta</strong> and again in the <strong>2001</strong> edition in <strong>Kuala Lumpur.</strong></p><p>Juliana, meanwhile, initially charted a different athletic path. She started out as a volleyball player and even became part of the <strong>University of the Philippines’ </strong>volleyball<strong></strong> program. It was only during the pandemic—when training routines shifted and opportunities to explore new disciplines arose—that she tried fencing. Encouraged and influenced by her father, a SEA Games medalist in the sport, Juliana eventually found herself fully drawn to it.</p><p>Since then, fencing became more than just an alternative, it became her passion. She eventually set aside other sports, embracing fencing as the discipline where she truly felt she belonged.</p><div style="text-align:center"><br/></div><div><iframe class="instagram-media instagram-media-rendered" id="instagram-embed-0" src="https://www.instagram.com/p/DK6ufODMkPL/embed/?cr=1&amp;v=14&amp;wp=1080&amp;rd=https%3A%2F%2Fod2-workbench-web.abs-cbn.com&amp;rp=%2F#%7B%22ci%22%3A0%2C%22os%22%3A1010459.0000000001%7D" allowtransparency="true" allowfullscreen="" frameBorder="0" height="567" data-instgrm-payload-id="instagram-media-payload-0" scrolling="no" style="background:white;max-width:540px;width:calc(100% - 2px);border-radius:3px;border:1px solid rgb(219, 219, 219);box-shadow:none;display:block;margin:0px 0px 12px;min-width:326px;padding:0px"></iframe></div><script async="" src="//www.instagram.com/embed.js"></script><div><br/></div><p>Beyond the technical guidance, Juliana considers herself fortunate to have parents who deeply understand the demands of elite-level competition. With Richard’s firsthand experience as an athlete, she found a role model at home who knew exactly what it takes to perform on the international stage.</p><p>“I also have a role model at home who understands everything that it takes to perform at this level. I feel very lucky to have that in our household,” she said.</p><p>Despite Richard’s decorated athletic background, Juliana emphasized that she never felt pressured to follow in her father’s footsteps or live up to his achievements. Together with her mother, <strong>Lucy</strong><strong></strong>, Richard made sure that their daughter’s journey in sports remained rooted in joy and growth.</p><p>“I&#x27;m just really grateful because they never pressured me, since the day my fencing career started. They&#x27;ve always just wanted to make sure that I had everything I need and that I&#x27;m always having fun and following my dreams, so it is honestly a privilege to have parents the way that they are,” Juliana added.</p><p>She also acknowledged how much lighter her journey feels knowing that her parents are behind her, especially during moments when the physical and mental demands of being an athlete become overwhelming.</p><p>“It&#x27;s not easy, but because I have parents, I feel so much lighter. All I have to do is focus on myself,” she shared.</p><div><br/></div><div style="text-align:center"><span class="fr-img-caption fr-fic fr-dib" style="width:700px"><span class="fr-img-wrap"><img src="https://od2-image-api.abs-cbn.com/prod/editorImage/1765945364854richardgomezph_1749220560_3649048999409386785_13100178.jpg" style="width:700px" class="fr-fic fr-dib"/><span class="fr-inner">Photo from @richardgomezph</span></span></span></div><div><br/></div><p>The support from her family extended far beyond competition day in Thailand. Juliana revealed that they were also present during the grueling preparation leading up to her SEA Games debut. Preparing for her first SEA Games stint required her to train overseas and compete abroad to raise her level and gain experience against stronger opponents. For Juliana, it meant constantly pushing her limits and stepping out of her comfort zone.</p><p>“It was beyond challenging. I feel like I really had to stretch myself. I had to compete abroad and train abroad just to get better... Well, not better, but to be stronger is more important. Of course, I had to push myself a little bit more. So the preparation on its own was really difficult. There were times where I felt that maybe the sport isn&#x27;t for me, or it just felt so difficult,” she admitted.</p><p>Despite giving it her all, Juliana’s SEA Games journey came to an early end. She bowed out in the Round of 16 of the <strong>Women’s Individual Épée</strong> after a 9–15 loss to <strong>Malaysia’s Jing Xuan Yap</strong> at the 2025 SEA Games in Thailand.</p><div><br/></div><div style="text-align:center"><span class="fr-img-caption fr-fic fr-dib" style="width:700px;display:block" width="700"><span class="fr-img-wrap"><img src="https://od2-image-api.abs-cbn.com/prod/editorImage/1765945417354598795923_1182850677344501_9129493283921595798_n.jpg" style="width:700px" class="fr-fic fr-dib" width="700"/><span class="fr-inner">Photo from Philippine Olympic Committee</span></span></span></div><div><br/></div><p>The defeat was tough to swallow. For Juliana, it was a painful moment, especially since she carried the strong desire to deliver a victory for the Philippines. Still, she faced the setback with maturity, acknowledging her disappointment while keeping her eyes on the future.</p><p>“I&#x27;m disappointed. Disappointed is an understatement, honestly. I wanted to win for the country. I wanted to do better. Not much I can say. It was a bad game on my part. And then after the SEA Games, work hard again. Then the process will continue,” she said, reflecting on her performance.</p><p>Even in defeat, Juliana chose to see her SEA Games debut as part of a bigger picture. She believes that the journey, though imperfect, was still meaningful and transformative.</p><p>“I felt like today, I was wrapping up a really beautiful journey. And I grew from that journey. The results could have been better. But yeah, this is where we are now. I&#x27;ll just try to do better,” she concluded.</p><p>As of this posting, based on the medal tally released by the <strong>Philippine Sports Commission </strong>on December 17 at 10:15 AM, the Philippines currently sits at sixth place overall, with a total of <strong>169 medals</strong>—29 golds, 45 silvers, and 95 bronzes. </p><div><br/></div><div style="text-align:center"><span class="fr-img-caption fr-fic fr-dib" style="width:700px;display:block"><span class="fr-img-wrap"><img src="https://od2-image-api.abs-cbn.com/prod/editorImage/1765945458093601439294_1303166355179905_4105162752752867067_n.jpg" style="width:700px" class="fr-fic fr-dib"/><span class="fr-inner">Photo from Philippine Sports Commission</span></span></span></div><div><br style="caret-color:rgb(0, 0, 0);color:rgb(0, 0, 0)"/></div><p>Lead photo from <strong>@richardgomezph</strong></p>

<p>For Juliana Gomez, the experience was nothing short of surreal—representing the country alongside her father Richard Gomez even in different sports, already felt like a victory in itself.</p>

For Juliana Gomez, the experience was nothing short of surreal—representing the country alongside her father Richard Gomez even in different sports, already felt like a victory in itself.

Juliana Gomez Describes SEA Games Experience a 'Blessing' While Competing Alongside Father Richard Gomez

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Juliana Gomez Describes SEA Games Experience a 'Blessing' While Competing Alongside Father Richard Gomez

Lance Joseph Martinez

Published December 17, 2025 02:35 PM PHT

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Updated December 17, 2025 04:45 PM PHT

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Juliana Gomez

Richard Gomez

Sea Games

Southeast Asian Games

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