Hanoi—Hidilyn’s Diaz’s biggest challenge on her journey towards the 31st Southeast Asian Games in Hanoi wasn’t the metal plates that call on her everyday, waiting to be lifted. It’s not the pressure of keeping her SEA Games’ title. It’s not even a 25-year-old former Olympic weightlifting gold medalist at the peak of her powers.
It’s the ice cream and milk shakes, snack and pancakes that were deprived of her when she was training for the Tokyo Olympic Games, the same food that she consumed in large quantities as a some sort of a reward for herself for delivering the Philippines’ first and only Olympic gold medal.
“It’s really hard. After winning the gold medal, I have been so busy. I had no time to train. I became too big, I felt that I needed that break, I needed to eat a lot of food, I got to 61 (kgs), siyempre December (Christmas season). Kung nakita niyo, the whole six months, I was so focused to get my weight again,” said Diaz, a weightlifter struggling to maintain her ideal weight.
That was a thing of the past on Friday as Diaz kept her weightlifting title in the SEA Games.
“I was able to drop my weight from 61 to 55. I’m so grateful with Team HD for me to be able to reach this weight and performance again,” said Diaz, giving women, who are struggling to lose weight, the inspiration to focus on their goal.