With the conservation around nepotism babies being a hot topic in social media recently, it’s timely to see even local stars join in the conversation, opening up about the privilege that comes with having famous parents in jumpstarting their careers. Case in point: next-gen It girl Juliana Gomez, who shared how much her folks’ status helped her succeed in fencing.
ICYMI, the 22-year-old celebrity daughter recently bagged a gold medal in an international fencing competition in Thailand. In an interview at CNN Sports Desk, she shared how tight the contest was. “It was a dogfight from start to finish. We were 19 fencers. They were all local Thai fencers. Some are university players, some are from the national team. But I was prepared because I have been training nonstop since I started in 2019," she said.
She also revealed that she traveled to Thailand sans her parents Richard Gomez and Lucy Torres. “I actually traveled alone because I’m just in different countries for short periods of time just to compete or sometimes to train. This time, I’m just in Bangkok for maybe four days."
She certainly inherited her dad’s love for fencing, as Richard used to be a national player of the sport during his younger years. When asked if she ever trained with her dad, Juliana had a playful reply. “I have. He gives me hell. It’s difficult. He didn't give me an easy time, that's for sure!”
Immersed in the sport for about three years now, the young star shares that she has big dreams to fulfill. "When it comes to fencing, I have a handful of dreams. I have yet to qualify for SEA games, I'd like to play in the Asian games. Hopefully, I can qualify for the Olympics when I'm a seasoned fencer. My dreams for fencing are really big so this accomplishment, it’s just a start. Baby steps.”
Juliana, who hopes to win a medal for her school UP this upcoming UAAP season, shares how grateful she is for her privileged life, and how it contributes to her success. “I’m very lucky because all I have to do is focus on fencing. I don’t have to worry about how to get to training or what to eat after I'm hungry or tired after training. Things like that. All I have to do is work hard and focus. I'm very lucky, not everyone gets that privilege—so I'm never gonna take that for granted.”
Way to go, Juliana!
This story originally appeared on Candymag.com.* Minor edits have been made by the Preview.ph editors.
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