Thailand, work, love and tears:
Since 2018 I have come and gone to Thailand always with love, but it has also been the Hardest Match of My Life
Sometimes, life puts us in the middle of the field without warning, facing rivals that we never saw coming. I have lived sport for as long as I can remember. I have competed, trained and taught with the same passion with which others breathe. But nothing could prepare me for the match that I have had to play in recent years. A match in which not only the physical, but the mind and soul, have had to be put to the test.
During this trip I worked in Nongbua Lamphu, then I was in Koh Chang, Pattaya, Cambodia, Phuket, Koh Phangan, Hua Hin and now I have already loved returning to Spain, this series of trips have been more than a geographical adventure; they have been a journey of resilience, overcoming and self-discovery.
The First Half: The Pandemic in 2020
Like many, I spent the pandemic in Thailand. Being away from home during one of the most uncertain times in modern history was a mental and emotional challenge. Isolated, but never stopped, I stayed active, playing sports and adapting to the circumstances. Life taught me that calm and discipline are as important as strength.
The Second Half: COVID in 2021
When it seemed like life was getting back on track, COVID hit me hard. Despite my physical strength, I was not immune. But an athlete’s body knows that injuries heal, viruses pass, and the real battle is fought in the mind. Recovery was another opportunity to apply what I always teach: visualization, patience, and perseverance.
The Overtime: The Stroke in 2022
Nothing had prepared me for the stroke. It was undoubtedly the hardest blow of my life, like a rival scoring in the last minute. Sportingly, I had never had serious injuries, and suddenly, my body betrayed me. But it was at that moment that David Pons the coach had to come to the rescue of David Pons the person.
I became my own coach. I divided my recovery into phases, as if I were preparing for an entire season. I repeated to myself what I always say to my players:
“The game is not over until the final whistle sounds.” and I had a more important incentive than a final. “My son.”
Every small step forward was a goal in my favor. Every rehabilitation session, a tactical training. I got up, walked again and, with each step, I regained confidence. The truth is that for this the “megaesport” gym provided the tools as if it were the Pons method, it made everything very easy for me gym, paddle tennis and spa was my rehabilitation recipe.
Extra Time: Miraculous Massages and Dengue at the end of 2024
This trip to Thailand was destined to be different. I participated in the Phuket Padel Series, I enjoyed sport and life on this journey called my last phase of recovery, everything was going smoothly, padel, double daily massage sessions. But Koh Phangan had one last counterattack prepared. A mosquito and a diagnosis of dengue fever that, although debilitating, was just another test.
I faced dengue fever like a player faces an exhausting overtime: knowing that the body has limits, but the mind does not.
The Final Whistle: The Return Home and Hope for 2025
Now, I’m returning home. San Sebastian awaits me, like a stadium where personal victory is celebrated. I’m spending this end of the year with my family, reflecting on everything I’ve overcome and looking ahead to a hopeful 2025.
I deserve it.
I’ve fought, fallen and gotten up more times than I can count. I have shown, above all to myself, that I can get out of any situation, that no setback is big enough to knock me down.
The Future: The Project to Come
Now, I look to the future with optimism. I know that 2025 will bring new opportunities, and this journey has amply shown me that I am ready for them. I look forward to a project where I can unleash the full potential of my methodology, the Pons Method, and take it to its fullest expression.
The Pons Method is not just football. It is life.
It is adapting, evolving and facing each challenge with a winning mentality. And so, as a coach and as a person, I am ready for whatever comes.
Because retiring has never been an option and winning has never crossed my mind. My rivals have always known that this is not an easy task.
That is the motto that has guided my career and my life. And as long as there is a game to play, I will be on the field, ready to win.
Now some understand why I did not continue when my career was going like a shot.
It was simply a step back to get going. 😜⚽
A hug from goal 💪
David Pons
