WITNESSING history, Filipina weightlifter Hidilyn Diaz bagged home the first gold medal for the country in this year’s Olympics. She also remarkably broke her own lifting record with a weight of 127kg which solidified her win in the last round of the competition. Diaz won during the women’s 55-kg Group A division on July 26 at the Tokyo International Forum.

The Light at the End of the Tunnel

The journey of Diaz was not easy. Throughout the year, she had a hard time focusing on training because of financial constraints. Back in June 2019, she posted on Instagram her plans of asking sponsorships from private companies to fund her training and her trip for the Olympics in Tokyo. She stated in the post, “Is it okay to ask for sponsorship sa mga private companies towards Tokyo 2020? Hirap na hirap na ako, I need financial support. Sa tingin niyo okay lang kaya[?] Nahihihya kasi ako pero try ko kapalan mukha ko para sa minimithi kong pangarap para sa atin[g] bansa na maiuwi ang gold medal sa Olympics.” Despite the lack of financial support, she made history as the first gold medalist in Philippine history in the Olympics.

The Golden Lift

Back in the 2019 Southeast Asian Games, she had a record of 120kg in the clean and jerk, winning her first gold medal in her weightlifting journey. However, she did break her record in this year’s Olympics when she lifted 127 kg in the clean and jerk and a total of 227 kg in the entire competition. According to Diaz, she never lifted 127kg before, not in competition nor in her training. She said that it was her first time to lift 127 kg during the Tokyo Olympics and to her surprise, she was able to lift it, which marked her spot in the podium.

Fruits of Labor

Good things come to those who sweat. In light of the honor that Diaz brought to the Philippines, received hefty rewards, pledges, and incentives as a result. First off, she will receive a 10-million pesos cash incentive from the government through the National Athletes and Coaches Benefits and Incentives Act or Republic Act No. 10699 (R.A. No. 10699), enacted during the administration of the late president Benigno Aquino III. Secondly, she will receive another 10-million pesos cash incentive, as pledged by Manny Pangilinan, the chairman of Manuel Velez Pangilinan (MVP) Sports Foundation. 

Moreover, Ramon Ang, the CEO and President of San Miguel Corporation, also pledged the same amount. A 3-million pesos cash incentive was also pledged by Mikee Romero, the Deputy Speaker of 1-PACMAN Party-list. Furthermore, the local government of Zamboanga will also be giving Diaz 2.5 million pesos. On the other hand, Dennis Uy, the head of Siklab Atleta Sports Foundation and the Phoenix Petroleum chair, pledged to reward Diaz with free fuel for life and a 5-million pesos cash incentive. 

On top of that, President Rodrigo Duterte pledged a house and lot in Zamboanga City and a 3-million pesos cash incentive. In addition, Megaworld also pledged a 14-million worth residential condominium unit in Eastwood, Quezon City. As for Century Properties, they pledged a 4-million worth house and lot at any PHirst Park Homes community of Diaz’s choice. Furthermore, Bambol Tolentino, the President of Philippine Olympic Committee, pledged a house and lot in Tagaytay. On the other hand, lifetime free flights have been pledged by AirAsia Philippines. Lastly, 80,000 free miles per year for life has been pledged by Philippine Airlines.

Girl Power

The victory of Diaz proved to be an inspiration to all the Olympians representing the Philippines as Nesthy Petecio won the silver medal in the featherweight division in boxing. The fight was held on Aug.3 inside the Kokugikan Arena where Petecio faced the Japanese boxer Sena Irie. Similar to Diaz, Petecio was showered with rewards and incentives for bringing glory to the Philippines.

As mandated by R.A. No. 10699, Petecio received a 5-million pesos reward. Furthermore, Petecio also received the same amount from Pangilinan and Ang. On top of that, she also received a 2 million pesos reward from Romero.

Hidilyn Diaz along with Nesthy Petecio, proved that eventually, your hard work will truly be rewarded. On the part of Diaz, it was a challenging journey for her due to her financial constraints, but it did not stop the Filipina weightlifter in pursuing her dream to bring glory to her country and break down stereotypes. As for Petecio, she proved that the sport of boxing belongs to everyone and not just men. Hidilyn Diaz, and Nesthy Petecio will surely be the new names for elementary students to memorize and a strong faith for people to imbibe.