MANILA, Philippines – Filipina athletes finally get a platform to share their stories through PumaPodcast’s Go Hard Girls, which features conversations and topics rarely discussed in a male-dominated industry. 

“Go Hard Girls is my podcast that talks about incredible, yet underrated female athletes, while having a conversation on the challenges we have to overcome,” said Go Hard Girls host Ceej Tantengco. 

Go Hard Girls draws inspiration from National Public Radio’s (NPR) podcasts like Invisibilia and Hidden Brain, and presents the stories in a documentary format.

Tantengco believes this is the right approach to sharing the stories of Filipina athletes, as they receive less coverage than men’s sports. 

“If you’re dealing with athletes who people are not yet familiar with, it’s your responsibility to add context to that story, to talk about their situation. Not just ‘She’s Jack Animam, she’s a five-time [UAAP] champion,'” shared Tantengco.

“Also, to have that discussion: ‘This is Jack Animam, she almost never played basketball. Why was she so afraid of playing basketball?’ Because she thought it was panlalaki, where did that come from?” 

Tantengco – who started her career in sports as reporter – has extensively covered the stories Filipina athletes and sports teams like five-time UAAP women’s basketball champions National University Lady Bulldogs, who boast an unparalleled 80-0 winning streak in the league. 

Other than Go Hard Girls, PumaPodcast has released 100 episodes as of July 31 for their other programs. 

The network has been on soft launch since January with its newscast “Headlines,” which  was followed by 7 other programs – Te Talks, Conversations with Randy David, Usapang Econ, Huli Sa Balita, Project Vanity, What’s AP? Araling Panlipunang Rebooted, and Go Hard Girls. 

Its upcoming shows will focus on sports like “Oplan NBA” hosted by Rafe Bartholemew and “From The Stands,” which will be making its comeback.

PumaPodcast episodes are now available on Spotify, Apple Podcasts and Stitcher.  – Rappler.com