BARUERI, BRAZIL—Two-time Olympic gold medalist Sergio Santos showed up at the training camp of the Philippine women’s volleyball team and provided words of wisdom that inspired the squad whose mission is to achieve victory and glory in the 31st Southeast Asian Games.

The PH spikers were mesmerized by the presence of Santos, who is widely regarded as one of the best liberos of all time with a collection of awards more than any other libero in the history of the sport.

And when the 46-year-old Brazilian champion took out his four Olympic medals—golds in 2004 Athens and 2016 Rio De Janeiro and silvers in 2008 Beijing and 2012 London—everybody tried to get hold of him and posed for videos and photos.

“I grew up in the suburbs and dreamed of becoming a great volleyball player someday. I relentlessly pursued that dream, never gave up and eventually accomplished my goal,” Santos told the national women’s team through an interpreter after practice on Monday at the Sportville training camp here.

It has certainly motivated open spikers Alyssa Valdez, Jema Galanza, Ces Molina as well as opposite spikers Kat Tolentino, Mylene Paat and middle blockers Jaja Santiago, Aby Maraño, Majoy Baron, Dell Palomata, Ria Meneses and setters Kyle Negrito and Iris Tolenada.

Santos also picked up the volleyball and showcased his talent with fellow liberos Dawn Macandili and Kath Arado at centercourt to the cheers of the entire team and the coaching staff headed by headcoach Jorge Edson Souza de Brito.

Assistant coaches Odjie Mamon and Grace Antigua were misty-eyed upon seeing the Olympic medals while coaches Raffy Mosuela, Tina Salak and therapist Grace Gomez joined the festive gathering along with Philippine National Volleyball League executive board member and national team chairperson Tony Boy Liao.

“Coach Grace and I were emotional when we saw the Olympic medals. It was also our dream to be there in the Olympics,” said Mamon, a former national team standout along with the Cebuana volleyball icon Antigua.

Santos has a list of individual accolades in international volleyball too long to mention, including a pair of Most Valuable Player awards in the 2009 FIVB World League and 2016 Rio De Janeiro Olympics.

The national spikers sustained their twice-a-day training on Monday in preparation for their tuneup against Superliga B club Sesi Sorocaba on Tuesday.

PNVF president Ramon “Tats” Suzara has been closely monitoring the progress of the team, which is in the early phase of its two-week training camp supported by the Philippine Sports Commission, Philippine Olympic Committee, Rebisco, PLDT and the City of Taguig.

They already played Superliga A club Sao Caetano a day after their arrival Thursday last week and will engage in two more matches opposite Brazilian clubs on Wednesday and Thursday to gauge the team’s medal bid in the SEA Games.