FAIR MAGAZINE Fair Magazine #2 - A New Adventure | Page 10

PHOTOGRAPHY: ARI SIMANGAN
MAKE-UP: RB CHANCO
STYLIST:ALFY ALMONTÉ HAIR STYLIST:IWA AJINOMOTO
TOP AND PANTS: BCBG MAX AZRIA
BESTS: ABLAZA ARTCESSORIES
SHOES: CHARLES AND KEITH
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words | f lor magaway

Before the photoshoot started to roll, Gretchen Ho came in her usual big
smile. She approached everyone with sincere aura of friendliness that
draws people around her. She’s like a ball that dropped and the players
just went around her. In volleyball, they call it “campfire” effect but offcourt, this simply means personal magnetism. When she’s around, people
can’t help but to be around her to work or even just to chat. She’s not that
loquacious but really makes sense when she talks. With these sensible
talks, she can inspire that is probably the reason she became a host. She
is not edgy while working in her new turf but can be meticulous just to
bring out the best in what she’s doing. Athletes’ careers usually end after
the championship but for Gretchen, this was just the beginning of a better
and brighter career.
Gretchen Ho’s days on the UAAP volleyball court ended with an
indelible mark but this volley belle offers more than her breath-taking
feats. In fact, she stepped into the hosting limelight with a bang landing
as one of the hosts of Umagang Kay Ganda and Lifestyle this year.
Gretch recognizes the fact that volleyball has paved the way for her
hosting career. But more importantly, she claimed that sports has
helped her in building up her career on television by instilling in her
the “secret” success formula that includes the perfect blend and mix
of hard work, discipline, consistency, open-mindedness, humility and
the ability to turn failures into gold mines for learning. She said that
the character she built over the years of competing on the volleyball
court is the same character she brings right now to any workday,
situation and opportunity. Thus, she approaches hosting the way an
athlete would. She brings the metaphor of the raging ball into the
camera lenses, the people around her consist the cheering crowd
while the volleyball court has become the stage. But now, there
is no longer an opponent to crash down with every spike as she
considers herself as her only opponent.