Tennis star Alex Eala, triathlete Kira Ellis, basketball standouts Kiefer and Thirdy Ravena, and volleyball players Stephanie Mercado and Dani Ravena are all following in the footsteps of their athlete mothers.
MANILA, Philippines – For some of the Philippines’ top athletes, sports run in the blood, with many following in the footsteps of their parents who also excelled in competition.
In celebration of Mother’s Day, here are mothers of athletes whose children continued their sports activities.
Lydia de Vega and Stephanie Mercado
Long before Stephanie Mercado-de Koenigswarter was born, her mother Lydia de Vega had already carved out a legendary athletic career.
Throughout the 1980s, Lydia established herself as the queen of Asian sprints by dominating the women’s 100m at the 1982 and 1986 Asian Games and winning the women’s 100m and 200m gold medals at the 1983 and 1987 Asian Athletics Championships.
Lydia, who also represented the Philippines in the 1984 Los Angeles and 1988 Seoul Olympics, gave birth to Stephanie in 1989, but continued to dominate the scene even after winning her last three gold medals in nine Southeast Asian Games with victories in the 1991 and 1993 editions.
he later added three more gold medals at the Southeast Asian Games
Stephanie also excelled in sports as a volleyball player, helping the La Salle Lady Spikers win three UAAP championships.
One of the best outside hitters in the Philippines, Stephanie played for many clubs after her college stint, including the Volleyball Premier League, before transitioning to become a volleyball analyst.
Stephanie remembers Lydia, who died in 2022 after a four-year battle with breast cancer, as a strict but loving mother.
“Our mom was the ultimate disciplinarian, but her love for us was unmatched,” Stephanie told TV Patrol in 2022.
Rizza Maniego-Eala and Alex Eala
Wherever Alex Eala competes, his parents Rizza and Mike are often in the stands.
Rizza and Mike have been a constant source of support for Alex, who has achieved great success at the young age of 20 while being ranked among the top 50 female tennis players in the world.
Unknown to many, Rizza was also an athlete who wore the national colors.
A former national team swimmer, Rizza won a bronze medal in the women’s 100m backstroke at the 1985 Southeast Asian Games before pursuing a corporate career, eventually serving as the chief financial officer of telecommunications giant Globe.
Now retired, Rizza spends her time following Alex around the world with her husband Mike.
That unwavering support has done wonders for Alex, who has become one of the biggest draws in tennis following his historic successes over the past year, including reaching the semifinals at the 2025 Miami Open and a first-round victory at the 2025 US Open.
“I want to thank her for being the amazing woman that she is and for helping me become the woman that I am,” Alex said as a tribute to Rizza during International Women’s Day in March.
Mozzy Ravena and Ravena’s brothers (Kiefer, Tatu, and Dani)
Brothers Kiefer, Tatu, and Dani Ravena were born to play sports.
They got their athletic genes not only from their father, former PBA player Bong, but also their mother, Mozzy, who was a top volleyball player for the UST Golden Tigresses.
Mozzy won several UAAP championships with UST in the late 1980s before marrying Bong in 1991 and later fathered Kiefer in 1993, Tatu in 1996, and Dani in 1999.
Ravena’s brothers are as successful in sports as their parents.
Kiefer and Thirdy have suited up for Gilas Pilipinas and have taken their actions abroad as imports to foreign leagues, while Dani has played in the Major League Volleyball for many seasons. Also, the trio all won UAAP titles with Ateneo.
As his three children were growing up, Mozzy made sure he was at their games.
“It’s hard but it’s fun,” Mozzy said in Filipino on a 2017 episode of ABS-CBN’s talk show Magandang Buhay when asked about being a parent of athletes. “It’s hard physically, especially if you have a job, you need to find time to watch their games. But the reward makes up for the fatigue.”
Doray Ellis and Kira Ellis
It’s no wonder why Kira Ellis is successful in triathlon – she got it from her mother Doray.
At just 19 years old, Kira stands as one of the Philippines’ brightest triathlon talents, having won top honors in the 2025 Junior Triathlon European Cup in Latvia.
She also finished the 2025 Southeast Asian Games in Thailand as one of the Philippines’ most medal-winning athletes with five medals, winning two golds (all women’s relay and mixed team) and one silver (women’s) in triathlon and two silvers (all women’s relay and mixed team relay) in aquathlon.
Kira’s talent was honed at an early age as she grew up watching Doray and father Mark compete in triathlon events.
“We’re so used to the game,” Doray told the Talk of Money podcast. “Kira was born into triathlon. I was doing triathlon when she got pregnant and everything.”
“When he was growing up he could see us, train, run, go on stage,” Doray added. “He really grew to see triathlon as part of our everyday lives.”
Now, Doray serves as Kira’s trainer and mother-in-law. – Rappler.com
