Champions in love: How Dalph Panopio, Kaizen dela Serna inspire each other

MANILA, Philippines – Love thrives on common ground. 

For basketball player Dalph Panopio, 25, and obstacle course racer Kaizen dela Serna, 23, it is their shared enthusiasm to excel and represent the country — the two being champions in their respective sports.

Just last December, Panopio won a Southeast Asian Games gold medal as he helped Gilas Pilipinas defend its crown following an unbeaten run capped by a gritty 70-64 win over host Thailand in the finale. 

Panopio delivered on his guarantee to get the same hardware as Dela Serna, who also captured a SEA Games gold medal as part of the mixed team assist quartet when obstacle course racing made its debut in the regional showpiece in 2019.

“It was so funny because he saw it in my house, my medal. He was like, ‘Oh, what’s this medal for?’ I was like, ‘Oh, I won gold in the SEA Games.’ He was like, ‘One day, I’ll get this medal also.’ He said that before he got in the SEA Games,” said Dela Serna. 

“I love that he walks whatever he talks. If he wants to pursue something or he wants to achieve something, he’s really going to put in the work to do it. I admire how hard he works and how he really does everything to achieve his goals.”

Panopio only got a confirmation of his SEA Games participation less than two weeks before the competition as the national team scrambled to put a roster together due to Thai organizers’ flip-flopping on eligibility rules.

He proved to be serviceable, putting up averages of 6.3 points, 3.8 rebounds, and 1.5 assists in the four games the Philippines played. 

Being around Dela Serna, who once held the women’s 100m world record in 2022 and earned bronze in the 2023 OCR World Championships in the United States, has driven Panopio to strive for the best. 

“She was already winning a lot, so I was like, ‘If you’re winning a lot and you still want to win more, how do you do that?’ Seeing that in real life, it made me really disciplined, and patient, and hardworking. I think that’s something that I really admire, and I would say I copy from her. I try to be more like that,” said Panopio.

Bonded by adversity

While the two have each carved out their own successes, it was during one of the lowest points of their careers that they forged a bond: while they were both recovering from injuries.

Panopio, then dealing with back issues, and Dela Serna, who was nursing an ankle injury, met in late 2024 through a common strength and conditioning coach. 

“It was God’s timing. You couldn’t really say that there was going to be a chance that we were going to meet,” Panopio said. 

Dela Serna, who also models, quickly caught Panopio’s eyes. It did not take long for the PBA rookie to make his move.

“I thought he was friendly. I didn’t want to go out with him because, you know, the stereotypes of basketball players. I was like, ‘I don’t want to date a basketball player.’ I was not really as interested. But then, when I got to know him, he was nice. So, I was like, ‘I’ll give it a shot,'” Dela Serna said. 

Dating elite athletes comes with its own set of challenges.

Their demanding schedules often leave little time for leisure, with many spending most of their days in training or in the gym. Rest is also crucial as the body needs recovery to avoid injuries and achieve peak athletic performance. 

Moreover, elite athletes have to deal with the constant pressure to deliver favorable results and face disappointment when expectations are not met. 

So, for both Panopio and Dela Serna, it pays to have someone who not only recognizes their struggles but also experiences them. 

“You understand each other in terms of time,” said Dela Serna. “We both know our needs. When I train, when I compete, he tells me, ‘Oh, you have to fix this.’ He’s like a coach because he knows the basic knowledge of being an athlete.”

“It works both ways for both of us. And the mental aspect also. I love how he motivates me and really encourages me to push. He knows what to say so that I feel like more motivated and more inspired to win in competitions.”

When Dela Serna injured her shoulder during the 2025 OCR World Championships in Sweden and required surgery for the first time in her career, it was Panopio who helped her navigate and brave that unfamiliar territory.

Panopio knew how tough it was to go under the knife, having had operations for ankle and thumb injuries in the past. 

“He already prepped me mentally, like, ‘Oh, it might be difficult to go back, it’s going to be a challenge.’ At the same time, after the surgery, I remember he was really there for me, like assisting me, because I had a cast and I couldn’t move my arms, so he would feed me, he would brush my hair,” Dela Serna said. 

“That was really sweet for him to do.”

Sometimes, that is all it takes in relationships — to be present. 

“I understood it takes a lot of time and sacrifice when you get injured. I had a feeling that it wasn’t going to be easy for Kaizen to have a surgery, especially since it was going to be her first one,” Panopio said.

“Seeing Kaizen in that situation, I was just trying to give her as many tips as I could, like mentally, and be there for her as support.”

As the couple celebrate their first anniversary in March, Panopio and Dela Serna approach the milestone with more maturity and a deeper appreciation for each other. 

“Our relationship also had some ups and downs. The year was fast. I think the positive thing about it, even if we had like down moments, we got to stick together and had the strength and the will to fix those things and be there for each other,” Panopio said. 

And of course, the hope is to end up together. 

“I think no relationship is perfect. But what I like about each other is we were able to stick through it, and we were able to learn from our mistakes and be better people for ourselves and for each other. I’m hoping that we last as long as we can – forever, maybe,” Dela Serna said with a chuckle. – Rappler.com