Mind Coach Hazel

29/01/2026

Champions aren’t built through training drills alone.

At Paris 2024, I served as Sports Occupational Therapist for a gold medalist—working not just on physical training, but on lifestyle, recovery, and cognitive performance during the lead up to the Olympics. Because here’s what most people miss: elite athletes are whole people first.

That’s exactly what “Go Beyond The Game” is all about.

I’m joining elite coaches and sports science experts to share a whole-person approach to student-athlete development—the same principles I applied for that Olympic journey.

What I’ll be sharing:
💡What does a champion’s day actually look like outside training? I’ll break it down.

💡Plus—recovery techniques that actually work, even without fancy equipment or big budgets.

Catch me in:
📍 Manila – January 31 – February 1
📍 Davao – February 3–4

And to my fellow Mindanaoans—this one’s personal. Let’s bring world-class training home. Our region has so much untapped talent. It’s time we raise our own champions.

Please scan the QR code to register.

See you there, coaches and sports enthusiasts! 💙

27/01/2026

Finally ready to share what I know in the realm of sports and life sciences. 🥇

Behind every Olympic medal is a system. This is the first of hopefully many more opportunities for me to share mine.

I’m joining the Go Beyond The Game workshop series to teach Built for Gold—the lifestyle and recovery protocols I developed for Paris 2024 Olympics. Sleep, nutrition, stress management, and recovery techniques adapted for coaches working with athletes at any level.

Two sessions. Two cities.

Jan 31 – Feb 1 → Manila
Feb 3–4 → Davao

Because training builds athletes. Lifestyle builds champions.

Scan the QR code to register.

See you there, coaches and sports enthusiasts!

Thank you for your attention on this matter. 😉

- Coach Hazel

09/12/2025

Last December 4, I stood with our kababayan OFWs at the NBI as they filed an estafa case against Makati Express Cargo Inc.—a company that failed to deliver over 52,000 balikbayan boxes to families here in the Philippines.

These boxes aren’t just packages. They carry sacrifice, love, and months of hard work from our bagong bayani abroad.

It was encouraging to see the Bureau of Customs PH step up to assist the OFWs in filing this case and fighting for their rights.

As a PGMN anchor, my platform isn’t just for reporting—it’s for standing with our people. The struggles of our OFWs deserve attention, and their fight for justice deserves amplification. Our OFWs deserve protection, accountability, and justice. 🇵🇭

19/11/2025

STRESS - PART 3: “Why am I always angry and crying?” 😭

These are behavioral symptoms of the severe stage of chronic stress:
👉 Frequent arguments over minor issues
👉 Holding your head when overwhelmed (physical manifestation of cognitive overload)
👉 Spontaneous crying or emotional flooding
👉 Physical manifestations of psycho-emotional pain
👉 Depression symptoms: anhedonia, hopelessness, emotional numbness

THE NEUROSCIENCE BEHIND YOUR IRRITABILITY 🧠: When you’re chronically stressed, your amygdala (the brain’s threat detection center) becomes hyperactive and hypersensitive, while your prefrontal cortex’s ability to regulate emotions gets significantly impaired. Research shows that sustained cortisol elevation depletes mood-regulating neurotransmitters like serotonin and GABA, which narrows your “window of tolerance” - essentially lowering your threshold for emotional reactivity. This is why you might snap at minor inconveniences or tear up over things that normally wouldn’t affect you. Your nervous system isn’t overreacting - it’s operating from a baseline state of survival mode where everything feels like a threat. The crying and anger aren’t character flaws; they’re neurobiological signals that your stress response system has been running too long without recovery.

Now that we’ve completed this 3-part series on what stress looks like in daily life, next up are evidence-based strategies to reduce your stress.

WATCH NEXT: The Science Behind Stress and How to Manage It

Save this series or share with someone who needs to see this.

18/11/2025

PART 2: Think stress only shows up as tension or headaches? Part 2 reveals the mental and emotional symptoms most people overlook-the ones that quietly disrupt your relationships,focus, and daily functioning.

In this episode, you’ll learn:
🤓 The cognitive signs of stress:
👉 Difficulty concentrating
👉 Half-listening even when you try
👉 Spacing out during conversations
👉Restlessness

🤓The emotional signs of stress:
👉 Sadness
👉 Getting easily triggered or overwhelmed

Save this or tag someone who’s been “off” lately.

PART 3 drops tomorrow- 12NN (Philippine Standard Time).

17/11/2025

⚡️THE REAL EFFECTS OF STRESS- Part 1 of 3 ⚡️

Stress is NOT just “all in your head” - it physically alters the structure of your brain, changes your behavior, and impacts every system in your body.

SOME NEUROSCIENCE FOR YOU 🤓: Chronic stress literally shrinks your prefrontal cortex (the part responsible for decision-making and focus) while enlarging your amygdala (your fear center). Your hippocampus- critical for memory formation- also gets smaller. This isn’t just temporary- prolonged stress can cause lasting structural changes.

This 3-part series breaks down:
👉 What stress may look like
👉 The signs and symptoms you might be missing

Save this series or tag someone who needs to see this. 🫶

Part 2 drops tomorrow at 7PM (Manila Time).

13/07/2025

Your exhaustion might not be what you think...
If sleep isn't fixing your fatigue, your brain is trying to tell you something important.

Here are 5 science-backed signs your brain is running on empty:
🔴 Simple decisions feel impossible
🔴 Small annoyances trigger big reactions
🔴 Focus is gone despite being "rested"
🔴 Nothing brings you joy anymore
🔴 Procrastination has taken over

The truth? Your prefrontal cortex is overloaded. Mental fatigue literally changes how your brain functions - impacting decision-making, emotional control, and motivation. There's a critical difference between physical tiredness and mental exhaustion - and most people are treating the wrong one. Most people don't know: Mental rest ≠ Physical rest.

Quick mental reset protocol?
✅ 5-minute box breathing
✅ 24-hour digital detox
✅ Set ONE clear boundary today

Your brain will thank you.

📌 Save this for when you need it most and try ONE technique today.

What's your biggest sign of mental exhaustion? Tell me below 👇

05/07/2025

What do Paralympic athletes really need from us? This. 💯 Respect, investment, recognition - not pity.

PGMN anchor Hazel Calawod on honoring Paralympic athletes' potential for LA 2028, urging respect and investment to redefine peak performance.

28/06/2025

Some news to share! 📢 I'm honored to join the International Paralympic Committee as their Regional Expert for Asia. Over the next 4 years, I'll be supporting at least 8 countries across the Asian region to strengthen their Para sport ecosystems for persons with disabilities and help their national leaders build training systems for Para athletes as they prepare for the LA28 Paralympic Games.

I'm so grateful that my passion for helping persons with disabilities and their families can now combine with my love for sports - with the potential to impact millions across Asia! Can't wait to contribute to this meaningful mission of making sports truly accessible to all! 🫡

07/02/2025

Before diving back into deep work, I'd like to share a feature by the Philippine Embassy in Indonesia about a new health initiative I designed for the International Gymnastics Federation (FIG) that launched last January 23, 2025.

This innovative initiative aims to revolutionize the way we approach aging and promote safe, sustainable brain and body fitness for Indonesia's elderly population through specially designed gymnastics-based exercises. 🤸‍♀️👨‍🦳👵

During a courtesy call at the Philippine Embassy in Jakarta, Chargé d'Affaires Gonaranao B. Musor commended the program as an example of the strong cooperation between the Philippines and Indonesia in health and wellness, aligning with the Philippines' policies to create a more inclusive society for its elderly citizens.

I look forward to further collaboration with the FIG on this important program, benefiting older adults worldwide. It's a true calling for me—making a lasting, positive impact, especially for the generation that cared for us. 🤍

https://fb.watch/xBKD1Dp7or/

10/12/2024

Definitely enjoyed the opportunity to be the keynote speaker at the 2024 Philippine Academy of Occupational Therapist’s annual convention. 🥳

It was an honor to share my personal journey - from working in therapy rooms to making a mark in sports arenas and how I innovated my clinical practice into Sports Occupational Therapy. Reuniting with my university professors and classmates as well as having the chance to encourage the upcoming generation of Occupational Therapists to embrace creative thinking was an experience I’ll never forget. I’m deeply grateful to my fellow Occupational Therapists for welcoming me with such incredible warmth. Thank you