Pan-American Games Gold Medalist, Jamie Subandhi has fulfilled many of her dreams since she started playing badminton from a very young age.
“My dad introduced me to badminton when I was a toddler and I started training when I was 6 years old. My first U.S. Junior Nationals was in 1999 and my first international competition was at age 13 at the 2003 Pan American Games in Dominican Republic. Since then, I have always dreamed of competing at the world’s largest sporting stage, the Olympic Games.”
Jamie has competed in several international tournaments and has fulfilled that dream of competing in an Olympic Games. She managed to qualify Rio 2016 and represented the United States and the Pan-American region in this important competition.
“My goals in badminton were to become a Pan American Games Gold Medalist and to represent my country in the Olympic Games. I have been able to pursue and achieve both dreams in the 2015 Toronto Pan American Games and the 2016 Rio Olympic Games.”
Those dreams that were drawn since childhood have surprised her and she knows that younger athletes also dream and she can help them achieve their goals.
“In the future, I hope to take a more philanthropic and mentorship role to promote and elevate the sport of badminton in my country by supporting upcoming juniors with their future endeavors.”
Participation in the biggest tournaments in the world has allowed her to live various experiences that she has enjoyed, but the best thing that sport has given her is to meet so many different people but with the same language: badminton.
“Being on tour allows you the privilege of meeting other people from different cultures and backgrounds. By traveling and competing together with fellow athletes, there have been so many opportunities for new friendships, forming strong bonds of camaraderie, and create memories that will last a lifetime.”
As a high performance athlete, Jamie has had different obstacles in her life that have led her to think whether she should continue or not. Injuries, economic problems, sacrifices and doubts interfered with her sports career but each episode left a great lesson for her.
“Injuries are a common occurrence for athletes. For me, the biggest injury setback was off the court and in a car accident. I was rear ended on the freeway at a high speed and was taken to the emergency room. Fortunately, nothing was broken, but just four months down the road, the Olympic qualification year would begin. Finding the courage to begin physical rehabilitation when I could not even get out of my bed on my own was one of the hardest and trying things to do in my life. There was so much doubt and fear circling in my head about my ability to perform in such a short timeline. With the support and guidance of my coaches, teammates, and medical staff, I was able to keep striving and fighting for my dreams and ultimately achieving them.”
Competing in international tournaments around the world requires, among other things, a strong economic investment and it is necessary to define priorities in life. Jamie stopped competing for a few years but badminton wanted her back on the courts.
“When I was beginning my college career in 2007, I faced the fact that I did not have the finances for both university and international competitions. This deterred me from pursuing my Olympic dream and at the time, I had no intent of returning back to this dream due to the financial burden. In the year after graduating college, I still desired to compete and decided to compete domestically at national tournaments. After performing well at these tournaments, I was fortunate enough to be presented with the opportunity to compete internationally with the sponsorship of Yonex and the Orange County Badminton Club (OCBC). The next thing I knew, I was quitting my job and competing in my first US Open in years. That was just the beginning of an arduous four-year journey that took me to an average of twenty competitions a year that was only possible with the financial backing of enduring sponsors.”
The work of an athlete is very hard, not only physically but also psychologically. Frustrations can occur when you do not get the results you expect after so much effort and sacrifice. An Olympic athlete is not exempt from it and Jamie has been able to overcome these episodes with great satisfaction.
“During the four-year endeavor towards the Olympic dream, there were many sacrifices that were made for training and for competitions. Sometimes, especially when you are not producing the desired tournament results, that sacrifice and energy put into training seems so futile. It is during these trying times that fill your head with self-doubt and are left wondering if pursuing the Olympic dream is worth it. Overcoming that doubt and fervently pursuing the dream was key to hurdling over that fear of uncertainty so that I could focus on the bigger picture and believe that I could accomplish what I set out to do.”
The experience in badminton, in life, facing different obstacles and overcoming them has taught Jamie some things she wants to share with each of the women who strive every day to get ahead and better, with their acts, the Sport in our region:
“Believe in the ferocity that lies within you – a determined, courageous, and strong-willed woman who will not be steamrolled over by anyone and continue unapologetically pursuing your dreams.”
