Asiad jiu-jitsu gold medalist Ramirez overcomes battle with anxiety

MANILA, Philippines -- Before taking the gold medal in the Hangzhou Asian Games, Annie Ramirez had her most difficult, but perhaps her most important battle -- against herself.

Ramirez, who won the Philippines’ second gold medal for ju-jitsu and fourth for the Philippines on Friday, said internal pressure got to her after the 2018 Asian Games.

She finished ninth in the Indonesian Asiad.

“After that Asian Games, somehow, I had anxiety. Actually, I did not know that I had anxiety towards the game, but it was like I could not sleep just thinking about it. I always thought that I want to win the gold,” Ramirez told reporters, in a video posted by One Sports on X (formerly Twitter.)

Annie Ramirez is just emotional after bagging the Philippines' third gold medal in the 19th Asian Games after her second try since joining the event in 2018.

Thank you for bringing glory to the country, Annie! ????????#AsianGames #HangzhouAsianGames pic.twitter.com/rluEsbK1Ka

“So I had internal pressure. I could handle the outside pressure. But, when I did not meet my goal [of winning the gold,] it was like I am not good,” she added.

It got to the point that she was crying almost after every training.

“That was its effect on me. So, I thought, this is not good for me as an athlete,” Ramirez said.

With this, she sought professional help and used her anxiety to power herself.

“I accepted that I have anxiety. I went to a sports psychologist and I did not compete [for a time]. I just trained until that feeling went away and recover,” the former two-time UAAP MVP for women’s judo stated.

And, this time around, she won her coveted gold.

The former UST Lady Judoka shared that she is “very fulfilled” to win the gold for her second go-round in the Asiad.

“This was the only achievement that was not listed on my list. So, it is very fulfilling for my part that for my second time in the Asian Games, I got the gold,” she said.

“I may not have won in 2018, but now, it is like I went from nothing to gold,” she added.

Two of the Philippines’ four gold medals in the Asiad came from ju-jitsu.

Ramirez’s teammate, Meggie Ochoa, also won the gold medal earlier in the week.