There's still much to do for Hidilyn Diaz after ending the Philippines' 97-year-long wait for an Olympic gold medal. She hopes her historic feat would inspire Filipinos to chase their dreams and never surrender.
Diaz's feat in Tokyo cheered and stirred pride at a time when the Philippines is in the thick of one of the world's longest COVID lockdowns and as millions reeled from a week of monsoon rains, not to mention toxic content online.
"Hindi ako magsa-stop kasi kaya ko pa, nakita ko ang galing ko, at alam kong may ibibigay pa ako para sa Pilipinas," the 30-year-old told reporters Tuesday.
"Hindi puwedeng after winning, susuko na ako. Alam niyo naman na I need to still continue to inspire the young generation to still dream. Alam mo 'yung standard ng sports, tuloy-tuloy hanggang sa may susunod sa akin."
On Monday, Diaz won gold and set a new world record and the Philippine National anthem was played in the Olympics for the first time.
Diaz said she was eyeing the Southeast Asian Games and the World Weightlifting Championship. She also aims to inspire a new generation of weightlifters, passing on the torch before she rests.
Will she try her luck in another Olympic win three years from now? By then, she would be 33 years old.
"Kung ang lakas ko nandoon, tuloy-tuloy."
Successful first attempt at 127 kg
The road to lifting the Olympic record 127 kg was not easy for Diaz. In December 2020, far from home and stuck in Malaysia due to the COVID-19 pandemic, she was lifting broomsticks, bands, and makeshift weights for training. She was training under quarantine to keep herself in shape even during lockdowns.
She admitted that she tried lifting the 127 kg during training.
"Nata-try ko na siya sa training pero 'di ko nagagawa. Every time na tina-try ko 'yun, hindi ko nagagawa, nafu-frustrate ako, umiiyak ako and kawawa 'yung mga coach ko kasi sobrang moody ako sa training 'pag 'di ko nagagawa," she told reporters.
Diaz said she commited to lift one kilo heavier than her opponent to win. She didn't know that her first attempt to lift a 127 kg in the competition would also result in an Olympic record.
"'Di ko ine-expect na mabuhat ko 'yun kahapon, siguro si God 'yun and all the people who prayed," she said.
She hopes her win will inspire fellow Filipina weightlifter, Elreen Ando, who is also in Tokyo. Diaz said Ando had to feel what having a gold medal feels like before heading out to the competition.
"Laban lang para sa Pilipinas. 'Wag kayo mag-doubt. Believe that you have the strength, you have the power," she told her fellow Filipino Olympians.