DESPITE the ongoing madness in the local political landscape, the Philippines also got good news one after the other recently.
In a matter of only 24 hours, Jessica Sanchez won America’s Got Talent (AGT), Kirk Bondad was proclaimed Mister International, and Veejay Floresca took home the grand prize in Project Runway US.
Sanchez’s victory was imminent after a stunning, soul-stirring performance of ‘Die with a Smile’ ( a collaboration between Bruno Mars and Lady Gaga) during the final show before Americans started to cast their final votes.
Sanchez is from Chula Vista in San Diego and married to Ricky Gallardo. She recorded a short video upon getting home: ‘I cannot believe what just happened. I was a complete mess onstage emotionally, and I’ve just been doing interviews and stuff, and I still feel the adrenaline and I’m soaking it all in with my husband. I’m just so honored and so grateful to everyone who believed, cheered and voted for me.’
The big dream started 20 years ago when as an 11-year-old hopeful, she joined AGT but didn’t make it very far. In 2012, she almost won American Idol, finishing runner-up to Philip Philips.
In a post victory interview, Sanchez talked about her big dream. ‘That dream started on the AGT stage a long time ago and I think it ignited this fire in me to believe in something bigger. Even though I didn’t make it through that time, and I was devastated as a 10-year-old, I’m so glad to have found that little bit of strength to keep going, and throughout the years it’s really been hard and challenging trying to find myself as a woman and as an artist. But you know, the biggest message is perseverance and just finding that little bit of faith to push though and believe in yourself again. So, here I am, the AGT winner of Season 20, and it’s just so amazing and so crazy,’ she enthused.
Floresca was a surprise winner for Project Runway’s season 21, which has been bashed consistently for many things: choice of designer contestants and judges, constant bickering and drama, boring outputs, and just the overall quality of content in many aspects of the show.
But in the end, after the many plot twists, the US immigrant from the Philippines made history as the first-ever transgender winner of the series, much to the delight of his fans and followers.
Once more, Floresca has proven that not giving up on our dreams is indeed very crucial because it is the reflection of our deepest desires and potentials.
‘If you have thought long and hard about something and it feels right, and it does consistently feels good, then you should not let anyone talk you out of it. Reaching for our dreams require bravery. And bravery is not the absence of fear but the strength to keep moving forward despite every hurdle. The path may seem challenging, even rough, but being brave means embracing all these struggles and continuing, knowing that the reward is always worth the effort you give,’ she told us when she first learned that she made it to season 21 of Project Runway.
Floresca added, ‘Giving up was never an option because it can lead to missed opportunities. I’ve always wanted to be a designer-a good, successful and respected designer. I know Project Runway will open bigger doors and make this dream of mine come true.’ For her feat, Floresca, who competed in the local version of Project Runway in 2008, won a cash pot of $200,000, plus six-month representation by Agentry PR, a mentorship program with the Council of Fashion Designers of America and a spread in Elle magazine.
And then there’s Kirk Bondad, who won Mister International in Thailand a few days ago. Bondad, only the third Mister Philippines to have won the crown after Alexander Aquino in 2001 and Florencio Mata Jr. in 2014, was obviously nervous before he was called out as the winner.
‘Your vision is unique to you and only you, and even if others might not see what you see, it is what you think and and what you feel that matter most. After my devastating loss in Mister World, I knew I cannot give up on my dreams,’ he told us before flying to Thailand earlier this month.
Bondad, who is half German and half Filipino, carries his mom’s surname in all his modelling and pageant activities. His father’s surname is Wachsmuth.
In summation, these victories reaffirm that it takes courage to pursue a dream, especially when others doubt or dismiss it. Just always follow your inner voice, keep your heart and intentions real and pure, and your mind undistracted. It is always okay to reset, restart and refocus, but never give up on your dreams.
Indeed, the big wins of Jessica Sanchez, Kirk Bondad and Veejay Floresca only confirm that big dreams, when pursued with courage, mindset, determination and hard work, have no deadlines.