KATEREEN Marie Diaz of Davao City, a relative of Asian Games 2018 champion Hidilyn Diaz, clinched a girls weightlifting gold medal Wednesday in the Batang Pinoy 2018 National Championship in Baguio City.
But the road to her glory was not easy.
The 14-year-old Grade 9 student of Daniel R. Aguinaldo National High School (Dranhs) cried and threw a fit at home when Davao City Mayor Sara Duterte-Carpio cancelled the city's participation in the Batang Pinoy 2018 National Championship in Baguio City last September 12.
But the crying eventually paid off as her father Catalino Diaz, Jr., an instructor at Crossfit Madayaw in Matina, Davao City and cousin of Hidilyn, found a way to secure plane tickets for them to make it to Baguio City.
"Nangutang po ako sa pinsan ko for the tickets. Iyak po sya ng iyak kasi sobrang isang taon naming pinaghandaan ang Batang Pinoy then hindi lang sya makakalaro. Sabi ko sa kanya gawa ako ng way para lang makapunta kami ng Baguio kasi alam kong may laban kami for gold eh di dapat masayang," Catalino, Hidilyns' first coach, said in a Facebook interview with SunStar Davao on Thursday, September 20.
Katereen, an only child whose mother Abigail is a nurse in Saudi Arabia, said, "Hindi po ako nag-expect pero I trained hard. May pressure din kasi halos lahat ng kakilala ko sinasabihan akong kailangang mag gold."
She lifted a total of 110 kilograms (45 kgs snatch, 65 kgs clean and jerk) to rule the girls 13-15 44 kgs division. Katereen outclassed Cita Dhel Callenero of Zamboanga City (89 kgs) and Maricar Paparon of Tagbilaran City (80 kgs) who accounted for the silver and bronze, respectively.
It's her third gold in the Batang Pinoy having also won in 2015 and 2016 editions.
She started weightlifting at age 10, inspired by Hidilyn's feats.
"Nakita ko si Ate Hidlyn naglift, nagkainteres akong magbuhat narin kasi nainspire ako," she said in a phone interview.
She still could lift more "pero di ko napo sinagad," she said, thanking her father who served as her coach, Hidilyn for her financial and moral support and her friends for bearing with her busy schedule the past 21 months where she trained during mornings and evenings.
She laughed off her tantrums when the thought of not competing in the Batang Pinoy dawned on her.
"Umiyak ako kasi one year and nine months ang training ko. Galit ako. Nagwala ako," she recalled but that painful memory had been replaced with sheer joy after accomplishing her Batang Pinoy mission.