We all have that one dream goal we reach for as we count down our years, months or days until we graduate, leaving us out in the real world to put our degrees to good use. We all strive, but not everyone succeeds in achieving his or her dreams. Well, that was the case for Loveren Dela Cruz, until one day when she received an invitation to represent her badminton club in Nationals to qualify for the 2016 Olympics. Loveren is a current junior at Cal State L.A. majoring in Applied Mathematics. She is involved in the Korean Students Association and works a part-time job as an Accounts Payable Student Assistant at the business Financial Services on campus. With so much going on, on and off campus, this student athlete makes time to do it all!
What are your hobbies outside of school?
I am an active badminton player! I am involved in two different badminton clubs off campus: L.A. Woodshots and the Philippine Badminton Club of America.
How old where you when you first started to play badminton?
I was 6 years old when I first laid my hands on a badminton racquet. We had a court back at home in the Philippines. I picked it up and just started playing for fun. And I started to compete at 8 years old in the Philippines for school, since that’s where I was born and raised.
What was the reason behind the first time you played badminton?
My mom was a coach and would always bring me to school after class because she would train players for badminton. From that moment on, I grew up to love the sport. I pretty much grew up playing it.
When did you realize you had a passion for this sport?
Well, that’s a funny story because at first, I wanted to actually be a gymnast because my mom’s co-teacher was a gymnastics trainer. But I had tried it out and it just wasn’t for me. It was difficult so I decided to stick with badminton. And once I realized I kept winning my matches and that’s when it clicked. I realized that I loved this sport!
What do you prefer? Singles, doubles?
Doubles, for sure! In Singles you just play by yourself and you don’t have a partner to rely on so it makes it that much more difficult. For doubles, it’s just more fun. It’s easier to cover the court and you can build a friendship with your teammate.
Why do you play for multiple clubs?
Last year, I wasn’t involved so much on campus. I didn’t have my job yet and I had more spare time on my hands. I had nothing to do after class so I decided to join one more club because the other only played on Fridays and I wanted to get as much playing time as I could to keep myself busy. So I joined another club.
What’s your biggest challenge with playing badminton?
The hardest thing is definitely balancing my job and homework with the sport. I sometimes travel for badminton and when you have all of these things going on all at once, it’s just hard to keep up with it all.
When did you find out you were invited to nationals?
About a month ago. One of the Board of Directors in Woodshots told me that I got two gold medals and one silver at the Cal State games, which meant that I qualified to go to Nationals at Nebraska next year in August 2015. I couldn’t believe it! So when the time comes, I’ll be representing Woodshots.
What are you looking forward to at Nationals?
I really look forward to going and at least getting a medal in the C-level. To qualify for the Olympics, you need to reach the A-level and place at least second in Singles and second in Doubles, sending a total of 6 players.
Where do you see yourself in 5 years?
In badminton, I see myself as a future badminton Olympian.
Meanwhile, as my career, I would like to see myself as a computer programmer.
Any Advice to those student-athletes on campus?
It can be tough to time-manage and balance all of your activities whether it’s on or off campus, but always make time for the things that make you happy in life. I make time for badminton because it makes me HAPPY!