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Who is Hidilyn Diaz?
Hidilyn Francisco Diaz is a Filipino Olympic weightlifter and airwoman. Hidilyn Diaz is primarily remembered for being the first Filipino woman to win an Olympic gold medal for her country. She also owns the Olympic weightlifting record in the women’s 55 kg division.
Diaz has also won several international weightlifting awards.
She presently holds two Olympic gold medals and one silver medal.
She earned them in the Olympics 2020 and the Olympics 2016.
She has three gold medals, one each from the Asian Games, the Asian Championships, and the Southeast Asian Games.
Diaz also has four silver medals and five bronze medals from international tournaments in her collection.
Hidilyn Diaz’s Early Years
Hidilyn Diaz was born on February 20, 1991, in the Philippines’ small town of Zamboanga City.
Eduardo Diaz, her father, and Emeliata Diaz, her mother, had six children.
Hidilyn was the family’s youngest child.
Her family had to deal with financial difficulties.
To feed the large family, his father changed jobs in search of better prospects.
His father worked as a tricycle driver before becoming a fisherman.
Diaz used to assist his father in selling fish at the market.
She aspired to be a banker in order to lift her family out of poverty.
Education of Hidilyn Diaz
There isn’t much information available on Hidilyn Diaz’s primary and secondary school education.
She did, however, enroll at the Universidad de Zamboanga for a bachelor’s degree in computer science.
Diaz, on the other hand, dropped out of university in her third year.
She didn’t want to follow that profession.
She began to prioritize her Olympic training over obtaining a university degree.
Despite this, Diaz decided to continue her education after winning a grant in 2016.
Diaz received a scholarship to De La Salle-College of Saint Benilde to study business management.
She began attending lessons in January 2017.
Diaz, on the other hand, took a leave of absence from school in 2019 to focus on Olympic preparation.
Diaz returned to online classes in 2020 after the Summer Olympics were rescheduled for July 2021.
Weightlifting Career of Hidilyn Diaz
Diaz initially aspired to be a banker.
But it wasn’t until her cousin introduced her to athletics that she discovered her true calling.
Diaz experimented in basketball, volleyball, and badminton before discovering her true calling in weightlifting.
She began lifting weights at the age of 11 and practiced with a homemade concrete barbell and water jars.
Diaz gradually won weightlifting events at her school, and the rest is history.
Making their Olympic debut at the Summer Olympics in 2008
Hidilyn Diaz was chosen for the Summer Olympics in 2008 and made her Olympic debut.
She is the Philippines’ first female Olympic weightlifter and the country’s sixth overall weightlifter.
However, she did not fare well in the competition.
Diaz came in second last out of a field of 12 weightlifters.
Her efforts, though, were lauded and seen as promising for her age.
Summer Olympics 2012
Diaz was also chosen to compete in the 2012 Summer Olympics in London.
She was the first Filipina weightlifter to compete in two consecutive Olympic Games.
Hidilyn, on the other hand, struggled at the Olympics.
Diaz was one of the two competitors who did not finish the competition.
The first Olympic medal was awarded at the 2016 Summer Olympics
Diaz competed in her third Summer Olympics in a row in Rio de Janeiro in 2016.
Diaz reduced her weight from 58 kg to 53 kg in order to boost her chances of winning the medal.
She competed in the women’s 53 kg weightlifting category.
She was looking for at least a bronze medal.
To everyone’s astonishment, Diaz won the silver medal in the event, exceeding her own ambition.
This was the Philippines’ first Summer Olympics medal in 20 years.
This was also the country’s first medal other than a boxing medal since 1936.
She became the first Filipina weightlifter to compete in three consecutive Olympics.
In addition, she is the first Filipino woman to win an Olympic medal.
The first Asian Games gold medal in 2018
Diaz competed in the women’s 53 kg event at the 2018 Asian Games in Jakarta, Indonesia.
She came in first place with a total lift of 207 kg.
Diaz won her first gold medal in weightlifting as a consequence.
It was also the first gold medal for the Philippines in that event.
The first Olympic gold medal will be awarded at the 2020 Summer Olympics
Diaz was competing in her fourth Olympics.
She created history by bringing the Philippines their first gold medal.
Diaz’s achievements at the 2020 Summer Olympics were very impressive.
Because of Covid’s limitations and lockdowns, she was unable to train effectively.
Hidilyn Diaz has won the Philippines
Hidilyn Diaz wins the Philippines’ first gold medal at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics.
Hidilyn also experienced a mental breakdown.
She was unable to practice as planned and had no idea whether she would be able to compete in the Olympics.
During the pandemic, there were no gyms open.
Diaz began weight training using bamboo sticks and water jars.
Her determination and hard training were key to her Olympic success.
Hidilyn Diaz | Military Background
Hidilyn Diaz applied for the Philippine Air Force’s Direct Enlistment Program in 2013 and was accepted (PAF).
She was also given an Air Force Specialty Code for recreational weightlifting.
She was promoted to Airwoman Second Class in 2014.
Diaz was also awarded a Presidential Citation Unit Badge and a Military Merit Medal for organizing PAF actions.
She was briefly assigned to the PAF Personnel Management Center while preparing for her appearance at the 2016 Summer Olympics.
For her outstanding performance at the Olympics, she was promoted to Staff Sergeant by the PAF.
Recognition and Awards
Hidilyn Diaz became the first Filipino to bring home an Olympic gold medal.
In addition, the Philippines Sportswriters Association named her Athlete of the Year in 2017.
Diaz was also recognized by the Philippine government for her contributions to weightlifting in 2016 and 2021.
Julius Naranjo, Hidilyn Diaz’s boyfriend
Hidilyn Diaz is engaged to Julius Naranjo, her coach.
They had been dating for a long time.
Julius proposed to Hidilyn with the dumbbell-inspired gold ring, and she said yes!
Their love story began in 2017 at the Asian Indoor and Martial Arts Games.
Both were present at the time.
Julius was born in Guam and is half Filipino and half Japanese.
Julius competed in the 62 kg weight class for his native Guam.
It was love at first sight for both of them. Julius had developed feelings for her.
However, he had no idea how famous she was in the Philippines.
Julius was intrigued by her determination and refusal to give up.
Diaz, on the other hand, was uninterested in him.
In the competition, the two fellow Filipinos gradually bonded.
They eventually fell in love and began dating.
Hidilyn Diaz and her boyfriend Julius Naranjo Hidilyn Diaz and her boyfriend Julius Naranjo
Julius met the love of his life but lost his job.
Julius assumed he had terrible back pain after the competition.
A crack in his backbone was discovered by the doctor.
As a result, he advised him to discontinue his weightlifting.
Julius required a doctor’s approval to continue his weight-lifting career.
As a result, his career had come to an end.
He could no longer compete as a weightlifter, so he became a coach.
He then relocated to the Philippines to become Hidilyn Diaz’s coach.
Finally, Julius was named as Hidilyn’s Olympic Core team coach.
The couple is likely to be remembered as one of the famous couples who brought the Philippines their first gold medal.
The couples triumphed in both their love and weightlifting and they are looking forward to their marriage.
Hidilyn Diaz | Entrepreneur
Diaz established her own company, HD Cleaning Services PH.
It is a home improvement company.
Then, in 2019, she joined forces with Chef Allan Jose to start Komida Foods.
During her Olympic voyage, the Chef had even prepared her supper.
She founded Komida to serve everyone healthy and economical foods.
This brand, on the other hand, is geared toward athletes and fitness aficionados.
Hidilyn Diaz’s Salary and Earnings
Diaz is the Philippines’ richest weightlifter.
Her net worth is believed to be $1.5 million.
It all stems from her Olympic victories, commerce, and endorsements.
Diaz received 33 million pesos ($650,103) for her historic Olympic victory.
She obtained the money from the Philippine Sports Commission (PSC) and Filipino businesspeople.
Furthermore, the Olympic gold medallist in the Philippines receives ten million pesos ($197,000).
They are issued by the government of the Philippines’ sports administration.
Diaz also makes a lot of money from the endorsement. In addition, she was named BDO Unibank’s brand ambassador.
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The Internet of Things
Diaz is quite active on Instagram.
She posts about her rehearsals, relationship photos, and family events there.
She also communicates with her followers on Instagram.
268k followers on Instagram
