IT SEEMS that the world stopped revolving Monday night, July 26, when Hidilyn Diaz emerged victorious in the women's 55-kg category for weightlifting at the 2020 Summer Olympics, winning the first ever Olympics gold medal after 97 long years of qualifying in the most prestigious sporting event in the world.
Every Filipino around the globe jubilated and shared in the pride she brought for the entire country. Literally, everyone I know (myself included) said that they can't explain the feeling of seeing the Philippine flag being raised while our National Anthem was being played after Hidilyn was awarded with her gold medal. It was surreal, and I couldn't help but play the video several times and savor the winning moment of a Filipina. The moment she boldly lifted the barbell and realized she won the gold, she couldn't contain her joy and became so ecstatic.
To me personally, Hidilyn's success is very symbolic and each one of us will truly be inspired to emulate. It is true that there is no other recipe for achieving your goals other than hard work and attitude. Many might be able to relate to her story, which may help us dream bigger for ourselves and working hard to attain it. It is not an instant victory, but it is indeed a common journey of starting small and ending the greatest one. As they say, there is no shortcut to success. If you have a vision, just focus on achieving it even if it will require you to make sacrifices. Hidilyn was forced to stop schooling to continue training for weightlifting and was also not able to be with her family for a long time. Life lesson No. 1: Hard work pays off.
Hidilyn's winning moment also teaches us to never give up amidst all the rejections and failures. Even before winning a silver medal in the 2016 Rio Oylmpics women's 53 kg weight division, she had her own share of disappointments and losses in major sports events. However, these did not stop her from pursuing her dream of snatching the gold medal despite the many problems and challenges she encountered in preparation for the Olympics. In fact, even before flying in to Tokyo, she posted in her social media account asking if it's okay to solicit sponsorships and financial assistance. Despite all these hurdles, she made it to the Olympics and as they say, the rest is history. Life lesson No. 2: Do not give up.
Lastly, but most importantly, Hidilyn's victory reminds us to pin our dreams with unfaltering faith in God. It is because there will be times when we no longer want to continue and to just give up on our dream, but our faith in Him will always serve as the trampoline to help us bounce back again and reach high enough to make our aspirations into realities. Life lesson No. 3: Always seek God's favor and give Him back the glory.