Manny Pacquiao, Hidilyn Diaz on how to attain a champion’s mindset

Hidilyn Diaz and Manny Pacquiao, together with Ibuprofen Paracetamol (Alaxan FR), a pain medicine trusted by Filipinos for decades, is encouraging countless individuals to continue being a champion without compromising overall well-being. Here are tips from the actual experience of these historic sports icons on how to attain a winning mindset.

Being a champion takes discipline
Attaining any goal requires relentless focus, entailing a mindset that stays committed even when faced with hurdles. At the young age of 11, Diaz already displayed potential to become a strong weightlifter. Despite encountering setbacks and failures throughout her weightlifting journey, she remained undeterred. Through years of training and more than a decade of competing, a once-dreamer is now one of the giants of Philippine sports, bagging the Philippines’ first-ever Olympic gold medal at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics.

“It’s okay to dream, but you really have to work hard and be disciplined. Sometimes you lose, sometimes you win. As long as you don’t give up, you can definitely do it. Just keep fighting,” she added.

No pain, no gain
As cliché as it may sound, no pain without gain is truly a part of every journey toward greatness. But the game changer is knowing how to bounce back from pain quickly. In Manny’s case as a boxer, pain is a constant from training to the actual fight and even after every game. The force and power of punches to different parts of the body can hurt, which is why Manny emphasizes the importance of having a trusted companion to get through the pain.

“There are times when I can’t walk, I can’t stand up. Even my fingers hurt but one thing I’ve always made sure of from then until now is that Alaxan is with me—during, after training, and every fight. After the fight, my body aches, but when I take Alaxan, by the time I sleep and wake up in the morning, the pain is gone,” affirms Manny.

Take care of your health
Apart from strengthening and conditioning, overall well-being is important to function properly and become prepared for any competition. With this, Hidilyn and Manny highlight the importance of being disciplined and cautious in terms of lifestyle habits, including diet regimens and taking medications as necessary.

“When it comes to diet, I prefer fish, chicken, and vegetables. Ever since I was a child, I have been very careful with the food I eat. I always bring Alaxan with me whenever I fight. I’ve been using it for more than 20 years, and I haven’t experienced any adverse effects,” Manny shared.

Alaxan is a synergistic combination of Ibuprofen+Paracetamol that was found to have the highest success rate among OTC pain medicines tested, according to a 2015 scientific review by Cochrane, a world-renowned independent research institution. Scientific reviews also show that Ibuprofen+Paracetamol is not likely to cause serious harmful effects on our body when used at the recommended dose.
Have a support group
According to Hidilyn, it takes a team to win and succeed. Athletes such as herself and Pacquiao benefit from the professional support provided by their group of coaches and nutritionists. Similarly for ordinary workers, a support system comprising a superior and colleagues is crucial, especially in the early stages of their career. Surrounding oneself with reliable individuals is instrumental not only in acquiring essential skills but also in fostering the right mindset and attitude required to excel in one’s life.

Stay humble
Being a world champion comes with fame, recognition, and wealth. Achieving extraordinary accomplishments may give a sense of fulfillment and cloud judgment, but this is never the case for Manny. He reiterates how humility is a virtue that allows him to remain grounded and always remember to look back at where he came from. He shared that helping and giving back to the community is how you really leave a mark in this world.