The Winter Olympics may be over, but our social media feeds are still very much in their figure-skating era. How many times have you watched videos of Ilia Malinin (a.k.a. the Quad God), Alysa Liu (who won gold after a hiatus of 2 years), and Eileen Gu (the most decorated female Olympic freestyle skier in history) on social media? They got us glued to our phones, watching them perform breathtaking triple Axels and nail impossible landings, all while we’re charmed by the lives they lead outside the rink. Watching all of this, Filipinos can’t help but think of Michael Martinez, our very own homegrown figure skater who once made Olympic history. Where is he now?

Michael Martinez’s humble beginnings

Michael didn’t grow up in a winter sports country because, well, the Philippines doesn’t have winter. But we do have skating rinks. The Parañaque-born athlete started skating in 2005 at SM Southmall. What began as a hobby eventually turned serious when coaches discovered his natural jump height and musicality.

Michael, 27, began skating competitively in 2008 and, in 2010, began training abroad under Ilia Kulik, the 1998 Olympic Champion, as one of his coaches.

In an interview, Michael shared that he suffered from asthma as a kid but skating made him stronger. “I had asthma maintenance medicine when I started skating, since the cold in the rink makes me sick too. But year after year my health keeps improving, so my mother fully supported me to continue skating. She said it’s better to spend the money on skating than in the hospital,” he said.

Joining competitions and winning historic awards

Martinez made history at the 2014 Winter Olympics in Sochi, becoming the first male figure skater from the Philippines and Southeast Asia to qualify for the Olympics. He placed 19th overall, a monumental achievement considering the lack of winter sports infrastructure in the Philippines.

Aside from Sochi, his other milestones include bagging gold at the 2015 Asian Figure Skating Trophy, becoming a two-time Triglav Trophy champion, competing at multiple International Skating Union (ISU) Championships, and participating in the 2018 Winter Olympics in PyeongChang.

Facing funding struggles

After the hiatus, Michael jumped back on the ice with plans to join the CS Nebelhorn Trophy in September 2021 as part of his bid to qualify for the 2022 Winter Olympics. But behind the Olympic spotlight was a more difficult reality. With training abroad, coaching, choreography, costumes, competition travel, figure skating is notoriously expensive. Michael publicly shared his struggles with funding and set up a GoFundMe page with a goal of $50,000 to help secure sponsors.

But things didn’t go according to plan. Michael reportedly had to sit out the Nebelhorn Trophy due to injury. The Philippine Skating Union (PHSU) announced that Sofia Frank and Edrian Celestino will instead represent the country.

Where is Michael Martinez now?

While he may no longer be landing triple jumps under Olympic lights, his impact continues in the rink. Michael is currently focused on coaching and mentoring young skaters. In many ways, he has become the bridge he once needed, guiding students through the sport’s technical and mental demands.

“It’s a great feeling, that I get to share my knowledge and see them improve,” he said in an interview. ”We have a lot of up-and-coming skaters, especially in the senior levels.”

“Hopefully, Filipinos won’t restrict ourselves to summer sports. We can excel in winter sports, especially us, Filipinos, natural sa atin yung performer, so they should try figure skating and ice dance. There is a lot of potential,” Michael added.

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