Aira Villegas of the Philippines reacts after losing to Nilawan Techasuep of Thailand during their SEA Games 54kg women’s bantamweight match at the PICC tent in Pasay on December 6, 2019. Czar Dancel, ABS-CBN News/File

MANILA — Aira Villegas had a tough road before she finally clinched her dream of competing in the Olympic Games.

Villegas, a native of Tacloban City, secured her ticket to Paris by defeating Bulgaria's Zlatislava Chukanova via a unanimous 5-0 decision in the women's 50kg of the 1st Boxing World Olympic Qualification Tournament in Italy last March.

READ: 2 Filipina boxers secure Olympic spots

However, the 28-year-old Villegas' Olympic journey was not easy. The southpaw had to miss the 2023 Southeast Asian Games last year due to a hamstring injury — a competition wherein her best finish was a bronze medal in 2019.

She then went on to absorb an early exit after faltering against Mongolia's Yesugen Oyuntsetseg in the women's 50kg round of 32 months later in the Asian Games in Hangzhou, much like Irish Magno who competed in the Tokyo Games instead of her 

"Before po kasi ako nag qualify, last year din po, marami akong pinagdaanan. Then may self-doubt rin po kasi before pa mag Asian Games, January pa lang, may injury na ako," she said in an interview last month.

"Hanggang sa umatras pa po ako nung SEA Games at may mga na-miss na competitions. So dahil po sa mga nangyaring yun, eto nga, siguro ito po yung binigay sakin," Villegas continued.

What fueled her to keep going was the support of her family and coaches, and the Association of Boxing Alliances in the Philippines.

"Hindi po naging madali yung proseso, pero may mga taong naniwala po sa'kin, lalo na yung coaches ko, teammates, and yung ABAP family ko," shared Villegas.

"Nag look back rin po ako sa kung bakit ko ginagawa ito, and kung bakit ko nag tagal sa team. Yun po yung nag bigay sakin ng puso para makapag qualify."

But now that she is set to make her Olympics debut later this month alongside Nesthy Petecio, Hergie Bacyadan, Eumir Marcial, and Carlo Paalam, is Villegas feeling any pressure?

"Sa pressure po, hindi naman po [ako nape-pressure] kasi nag stay lang ako sa present. Normal lang naman po yung pressure kasi importante po sa'tin yung ginagawa natin eh. So, how do we react to it na lang po," she explained.

The five Filipino boxers, as well as the rest of the 22-man delegation of the country, are now in Metz, France for their combined training camp there, and that is what she is focusing on instead.

"Kaya ngayon, naka focus po ako sa training ko, pati sa family ko na all-out support sa akin," she said.

"Number one reason kung bakit po ako nandito is dahil po talaga sa pamilya ko. Nagpapasalamat din po ako sa lahat ng Taclobanon," she added.

And when asked what she hopes to deliver for the Philippines in her debut, this is what she had to say: "Hindi po ako nangangako, pero hahayaan kong ang mag pakita sakin is yung work ko mismo. Gagawin ko lahat ng makakakaya ko sa taas ng ring, and yung result na po yung mags-speak para sa akin."