Apart from her newfound self-assurance and mature level of acceptance, Chiu says sports has been a way to make her feel good, and thus, beautiful. Her fitness goals are part of who she is, and they have shown her her strengths and weaknesses.

A few years ago, she started training for and joining marathons. Contrary to common belief, she eats a lot, so she has enough energy to use during her two-hour-a-day workout routine, which she does at least five times a week.
She also follows the “Blood Type Diet,” consumes a lot of meat, and only eats two times a day.

When she’s training for a race, she wakes up at 6 a.m. every day, goes on at least one 10-kilometer run in a week, and follows that with shorter runs in the remaining days. She also must ride her bike at least two hours a day.

In July this year, she joined a duathlon after a long hiatus due to the pandemic. “It also feels good for my mental health,” she tells us about her love for sports. “It keeps me grounded. During the race, the camaraderie is there, and you’re not artista, you’re an athlete-ish. You’re all doing the same thing, and you all have the same goal: to finish the race. And then you just support each other.” Chiu also does boxing and muay Thai, and she says she misses horseback riding.

Sports, she adds, is a way for her to take care of herself, other than her simple skincare (she only uses a hydrating serum and sunscreen) and makeup routine. “Taking care of myself just makes me feel more confident,” she says. “For example, for makeup and skincare, even if I’m not confident about my communication skills, at least I’m confident about how I look. How you feel and how you look on the outside—parang one step toward making you feel confident.”

Another part of life that is making her feel confident and beautiful is her thriving, 16-year career, and a flourishing relationship with fellow actor Xian Lim. The two had just starred in the Filipino adaptation of the Korean film, Always—their fourth movie together, and their first in eight years. “We’re both excited,” she tells us, palpably giddy. “Especially now that we’re open that we’re a couple. The word is open talaga, no? Before kasi di namin pinag- uusapan ’yong relationship. Now, people are more open and more appreciative of everything. Some may judge, pero may magtatanggol, so doon ka na lang focus.”

Talking about the movie, she sees it as a portent of things to come as she was allowed to work with Lim, who is managed by a different agency: “The network is more open din. The world is now more open to all opportunities.” Chiu is also working on an upcoming TV series.

She has never been happier, she says. She blames that on all her experience and on growing older. “Age ’to,” she laughs heartily. “I just feel more confident. And different din ang mindset: eto na ako, e. I just have to love myself. Who will love me more than myself? If you don’t feel confident, ’yon din perception ng mga tao. It comes from within—the confidence and the beauty. You won’t look good outside if you don’t feel good inside.”