How volleyball helped Loren Lantin turn into a doctor with empathy, grit

Back in 2010, volleyball was just about ready to explode into becoming a mainstream event in the Philippines.

This was the playground of one Loren Lantin, who walked into the University of Santo Tomas women’s volleyball training to try out, not knowing the ripples this brave act will have on her future self.

“Sinabihan na ako ni daddy na (Daddy told me that) whatever the result, I must accept and move forward,” Lantin told Rappler inside her newly renovated clinic at the De Ocampo Memorial Medical Center in Manila.

Her father, Dr. Pedro Lantin III, was more realistic than pessimistic.

At that point in volleyball history, the UST program has the likes of Aiza Maizo, Maika Ortiz, Rhea Dimaculangan, Angge Tabaquero, Jessica Curato, and Judy Caballejo in its roster, with the legendary duo of Ging Balse and Venus Bernal having recently graduated from their UAAP eligibility.

The competition for slots was stiff, but this was the dream for Lantin, who started playing the sport when she was in third grade — volleyball glory, and eventually, med school.

“Sobrang idol ko po si Ate Ging (Balse) kaya pinush ko talaga. ‘Tsaka bata pa ako gusto ko na rin talaga maging doctor kaya kung ‘di man ako pinalad noon, sa UST pa rin po ako mag-aaral,” she recalled.

(I really idolized Ging Balse, so I pushed for it. But I’ve also awanted to be a doctor since I was a kid, so even if I didn’t make it, I was really planning to go to UST.)

The middle blocker-turned-setter was asked to attend the Golden Tigresses’ training for the next couple of weeks without any assurance whether she got in or not.

And the next thing she knew, she was already introduced as part of a brilliant and skilled batch of rookies that include Maru Banaticla, Dindin Santiago-Manabat, Kat Carangan, Valerie Amar, and Jen Fortuna, all of whom went on to become UAAP champions.

“Ako lang ‘yung rookie sa batch namin na hindi na-lineup ng Season 72,” she said, laughing at her self-effacing joke.

(I was the only rookie who wasn’t lined up for Season 72.)

Fast forward to Season 73 and Lantin made her UAAP debut in UST’s roster as the backup setter for Dimaculangan’s backup setter. 

As a third option, she barely got to play that year, but the perfect attendance of her dad, who was towering in height and used to play varsity basketball for UP and UST, and her mom, Dr. Maria Victoria Lantin in her understated elegance, did not escape the attention of the team’s ever-loyal fans.

It wasn’t until a specific game the year after, in Season 74, when Lantin became an instant legend.

In a match versus a surging Ateneo, Dimaculangan unfortunately twisted her ankle, pushing then head coach Odjie Mamon to put the fate of the Final Four-seeking team in the hands of his junior setter.

“Nakakatawa po niyan I was under the assumption na since one of the top teams ang Ateneo, si Ate Rhea (Dimaculangan) lang ang gagamitin. So I just decided to spend the night before na mag review na lang,” said the polite, prim and proper, almost-shy Lantin.

(The funny thing was, I was under the assumption that since Ateneo was one of the top teams, only Rhea Dimaculangan would be fielded in. So I just decided to spend the night before to review.)

“At 1 am kinatok pa ako ni daddy sa room to say na I should sleep kasi may game ako, but nag review pa rin ako. Hanggang sa bus papuntang game sa San Juan [Arena] nagre-review ako for an important exam hanggang sa sinabihan na ako ni coach Odjie na mag focus na sa parating na game,” she added.

(At 1 am, my dad even knocked on my room to say that I should sleep because I have a game, but I still reviewed. Even in the bus going to San Juan Arena, I was reviewing for an important exam, until coach Odjie told me to focus on the game ahead.)

Though lanky and awkward at the time, Lantin played steady textbook volleyball all the way to victory. She made history in such a way that until today, that same match is still being referenced as one of the favorites among UST hopefuls.

Lantin eventually got Mamon’s nod to become a starting setter the following year. Season 75, however, did not end well for her and her teammates as they missed the semis bus — a first for the España squad in a long while.

That’s when Lantin had to make a difficult decision that almost forced her to choose between her two dreams. It was either to play another year in the UAAP or focus on med school unequivocally.

“Nanghingi po ako ng advice sa mga heads ng med school and they said wala pang nakagawa nito ng sabay, either dun sa mga taga Salinggawi (dance troupe) or other sports teams sa UST. Sigurado daw ba ako,” she said. “Pero bitin po kasi talaga na hindi kami naka-Final Four at gustong-gusto ko bumawi kaya I decided na isa pa.”

(I asked for advice from the med school heads, and they said no one had done med studies and UAAP play at the same time, even those from the Salinggawi dance troupe or other UST sports. They asked if I was sure. But I really wanted more because we didn’t make the Final Four and I wanted to avenge it. So I decided to play one more year.)

Grateful and inspired by her deans, professors, coaches, teammates, supporters, and especially her family, Lantin braved the sleepless nights, fully-booked Mondays to Sundays, and seemingly endless exams and deliverables for a shot at volleyball redemption.

Alas, it was not meant to be. 

For the second year in a row, UST missed the semifinals, marking the end of Lantin’s Golden Tigress era.

“My last game was very special, though,” she shared.

“I remember my dad saying when I was younger na sana daw magkaroon siya ng anak na athlete na maglalaro sa Araneta [Coliseum]. And in our last game that season versus Adamson, in my last game for UST, I believe I played my best game ever tapos nanalo kami sa Araneta and nandun family ko,” she added.

(I remember my dad saying when I was younger that he had hoped to have an athlete for a child who would play in the Araneta Coliseum. And it was our last game that season versus Adamson, in my last game for UST, I believe I played my best game ever, and we won at Araneta with my family there.)

“For that moment alone, for making my parents proud, that year of hardship? It was all worth it.”

And for Lantin, more than the skills and the friendships that she gets to keep to this day, it was the smaller and quieter moments away from the spotlight and cheers inside arenas that have molded her into the person she is today.

From a sheltered teenager from Saint Pedro Poveda College, she has emerged from UST as a more grounded individual who is in touch with the realities of those born less-privileged.

“Tinuruan ako ng teammates ko na tumawid sa kalsada, sumakay ng jeep at tricycle, hanggang sa maglaba ng damit during Unigames at napakarami pang iba. Tinuruan ako nila coach Odjie na kahit gaano kahirap ang training, I must enjoy it and find meaning to what I do. And my family, especially ang parents, they taught me to show up gagamitin man ako or hindi sa game,” said Lantin, who is now an orthopedic surgeon specializing in hand, reconstructive, and microvascular surgery.

(My teammates taught me how to cross the street, ride a jeep and tricycle, how to wash my clothes during the Unigames, and many more. Coach Odjie taught me that no matter how hard a training could get, I must enjoy it and find meaning in what I do. And my family, specially my parents, they taught me to show up, whether or not I would be fielded  or not in a game.) 

“‘Di naman sa pagpapaka-pageant answer pero dahil sa kanila, I would like to believe I am a professional na may empathy, grit to push through pag toxic ang schedule, at desire to be present for my patients,” she added.

(This is not a pageant-like answer, but it’s because of them, I would like to believe I’m a professional with empathy, grit to push through when the schedule gets toxic, and the desire to be present for my patients.) 

Now, it’s 2025, and volleyball in the country is as big as one could ever imagine — a development that has its perks and disadvantages. But that is for another story.

Lantin, on the other hand, has just finished fellowship trainings in Japan, Singapore, and South Korea. 

And her current passion project? The new Antonio B. De Ocampo Rehabilitation Center, named after her grandfather, where she hopes to help Filipino athletes recover through world-class care and therapy.

“‘Yung experience and love ko sa volleyball and for my fellow athletes naman talaga ang dahilan bakit ito ang napili ko’ng specialization,” she said as she stood up, preparing for her next patient. “Sana through this rehab center, maibalik ko sa kanila ‘yung impact nila sa akin because they changed my life.”

(My experience and love for volleyball and fellow athletes were really the reasons I chose this specialization. Hopefully through this rehab center, I could give back how they’ve impacted me, because they changed my life.) – Rappler.com