‘He’s Still There For Me’ – How Muay Thai Star Sean Climaco Is Dealing With The Difficult Loss Of His Father
American Muay Thai sensation Sean “The One” Climaco knows his father will be watching over him when he returns to action at ONE Fight Night 31: Kongthoranee vs. Nong-O II on Prime Video.
On May 2 in U.S. primetime, the 30-year-old knockout artist will square off with young phenom Akif “King” Guluzada in a flyweight Muay Thai bout at Lumpinee Stadium in Bangkok, Thailand.
For Climaco, it will be his fourth appearance in ONE and his third fight without his father.
Last July, when he was in the thick of his training camp for his hotly anticipated showdown with Johan “Panda Kick” Estupinan at ONE 168, Climaco received the devastating news that his father had passed away.
At first, he buried himself in training, seeking an escape from the immense emotional pain. It wasn’t until after his fight that the grieving process truly began.
“The One” recently spoke to onefc.com about the loss of his father:
“It was in the middle of my camp fight for Estupinan when he passed. So I didn’t really have a choice. I had to get back and train for that fight. So, training then for the fight, yes, it did help. It did help me go through the process of all that in that moment.
“After the fight, that’s when I started to actually start grieving. Because when he passed, I didn’t really give a chance for myself to actually grieve. I was using the training for that fight to cope with everything and to deal with the pain.”
“Every day now, it’s still hard, but life goes on, and you have to keep moving forward.”
The flyweight standout says he’s reached this point in his career because of his father.
A practitioner of boxing and karate as a child, Climaco’s father was the first one to teach him how to throw a punch – but the lessons he taught went far beyond martial arts techniques.
Climaco recalled one powerful moment that still sticks with him today:
“He’s always been there. He’s always been an inspiration to me to be a fighter.
“I remember when I was a kid and we were just doing boxing and we were just training. We were sparring, and I was getting so frustrated when he kept hitting me with this jab, and I wanted to give up. And he got mad at me.
“I wasn’t believing in myself. And then he said, ‘No. Don’t do that.’ He got mad at me, and I’ll always remember that moment. Even though I was still a kid, not to be afraid and not to ever give up.”
When he makes the walk to the ring at ONE Fight Night 31, Climaco will undoubtedly display the never-give-up attitude his father instilled in him years ago.
It hasn’t been easy, he said, going through life without his biggest supporter. But even with him physically gone, Climaco’s father continues to guide him:
“It’s definitely been a process. It goes in waves. I think that’s what people have always said when they lose a loved one.
“But I know he’s up there and proud and still guiding me through his love. And though I miss his presence and his voice, he’s still there for me.”
Climaco: ‘Hold Onto Those Memories’
Sean Climaco isn’t alone in losing a parent, but that doesn’t mean it’s any less painful.
His advice to others struggling with the loss of a loved one is simple – keep the past alive:
“Just keep holding on to the memories. That’s all you can do. Gotta keep moving forward, but just be grateful for the memories, and just don’t forget the memories that you have with that loved one.”
The Californian admitted that he doesn’t have all the answers and that he’s still figuring out the grieving process himself. There’s no right or wrong way to grieve, he said.
For now, he’s just taking things day by day:
“I’m still trying to learn how to deal with it right now, still, but it’s a process for sure. And I’ve even had friends that have lost loved ones, recently, too, and they would go to me and seek out some advice.
“I can’t really give much advice because I’m going through it myself. But, yeah, just hold onto those memories that you’ve had.”
