Monday, February 17, 2014

Batanes on my mind

Batanes in the Philippines is a photographers haven.  It's been my dream to go and just take pictures.  I finally did it with the craziest bunch of women photographers.  What joy!  You can really feel the presence of God in this place.  So peaceful.  So beautiful.  Our photographs don't do justice....



While on this photo safari I managed to take clips of the group with my GO PRO 3.  Here are the behind the scenes during our Batanes trip.  I seriously need to go back here.




                                      




Wednesday, February 5, 2014

Viva Lorena!




Greg Allen, Lorena Ochoa's college golf coach once said "As good as Lorena Ochoa is at golf, she is 10 times as good a person off the golf course.  Everyone who has ever encountered Lorena loves her."
I have to say I totally agree. 

I had the privilege of covering Lorena for the Everest Academy Golf tournament recently at the Wack Wack Golf & Country Club. It was such an eye opener for me to spend the day with her as she met with the players of the tournament. 

Her generosity to her fans, other players and everyone she came across with was just incredible.
I was expecting her to go around and randomly pick flights to stop and say hello to considering her limited time as we still had to run to the Everest Academy to give an inspirational talk for the schoolchildren.

Ochoa with the Forest Hills ladies team
Lorena however chose to stop at EVERY SINGLE FLIGHT at the tournament and personally meet all the participants and pose for souvenir photos. She gamely signed autographs on bags, balls, shirts and even golf carts!







Lorena with her brother Alejandro on an autographed golf cart

I asked her brother Alejandro if it was normal for her to do that in the other countries they visited and he said yes. That is how incredibly generous she is.  And Lorena does it humbly and genuinely.

Ric Pascua has his cap signed

"Please sign my shirt!"

Our future golfing stars with their idol

Even the caddies couldn't get enough of Lorena
After meeting everyone on course we did a few solo shots for a magazine and then off to Everest Academy for an uplifting talk with the kids.





The kids were excitedly asking her questions and listening to her advise. "Never, never give up.  It may take a long time to learn and you can repeat your mistakes, but don't give up until you succeed." Lorena told the Everest Academy children. 


What was astounding was that after her speech she stayed on and again tirelessly signed autographs for everyone. 


From Everst Academy Lorena had barely enough time for lunch and then rushed back to Wack Wack Golf & Country Club to grace the awarding for the the Everest Academy tournament.


After the tournament and a short rest it was off to the Mexican Ambassador Julio Camalena's reception to honor her in Manila.

with Ambassador Julio Camalena

Ochoa with The Impact Golf & Lifestyle magazine team
What an amazing day it was to witness Lorena in action. Despite her stature she is unbelievably unassuming with the biggest heart in and outside the golf course. 
Viva Lorena.  





Saturday, February 1, 2014

Star struck


I have been a fan for the longest time.  Whenever I had to chance to follow her in the LPGA tours I would. Even if that meant walking the entire course for days just to watch Lorena Ochoa play.

Longs Drugs Challenge in Danville, CA
After those tournaments I would stay and line up just to get her autograph.  Call me star struck.  But Lorena Ochoa has always been my idol.



When she retired from golf I seriously was so sad that i had to write about  how much I was going to miss watching her play.

So when I found out she was going to visit Manila I was thrilled. A big thanks to ICTSI who made Lorena Ochoa's trip to the Philipines possible.  So on February 3, 2014 Filipino golfing enthusiasts will have that rare chance to catch Lorena at the Everest Academy Golf Cup at the Wack Wack Golf & Country Club.  Meanwhile I get to have my pictures of Lorena personally signed.

Star struck indeed.