The time was past 12 in the afternoon, when his mom and dad got home with plastic bags on their hands. A girl with a raven-black hair showed up into the door step with a smile on her face. The summer breeze lingered on her skin as she felt sweat on her tiny palms and forehead. The mother greeted her with a kiss on her cheek, while his dad took out a red stone from his dirty pocket and hand it to her. This has been her favorite toy ever since her parents got to dig soil on the rice field as they planted. 
This is how province-raised people pictured her life at a young age. 
Like any girls out there, she has dreams too that left hanging for long. And so, determination runs on her blood that her parents were proud of.
They had a very simple life that on her part no one admires. Her perceptions gone wild the moment she stepped her foot in the city where it is being surrounded with rich families. But didn't stayed there for too long as she had to go back from her home; a place where fresh air exists, lesser view of vehicles passing by, and a friendly community.
Although they lack of money for day to day living, she grew to love her parent's hardwork just to provide everything she needs at school. During on her elementary days, her dad was a trycicle driver that sell vegetables and fishes who became her service at school. 

Later, she was fast approaching to college as two years more and she'll finish her highschool years; but the skills that she had in weightlifting has caught her attention. 

Through the help of her cousin, Allen Jayfrus they had barbells made up of plastic pipes and concrete weights shaped in tin cans for her early trainings. Determination was her key to broke that barrier; happened to block all the strength she got to pursue her dreams in life.

Mothers can be too defensive sometimes and that they got to worried about their sons and daughters when something is to extreme for them to do, and that's what she exactly felt at that moment. Crying has been her medicine to figure things out, thankful that her dad tried to comfort her in all those days she thought there was nothing good anymore in it.

As she entered, into the world of sports; she didn't hesitate to join competitions at a young age. It became normal to her; all those side comments she was receiving from other people who usually said how it didn't fit on her feminine figure. Being bullied, is something that can't be ignored, but it didn't turn her down to leave her growing career.

Hidilyn Diaz, the 25 year-old who bagged silver in medal in women's 53kg weightlifting category in Rio 2016, claiming her title as the first Filipino woman Olympic Medalist. "Ang challenges, pare lang yan ng buhay. Darting ang panahong gusto mo ng sumuko, pero kailangan mong lumaban eh para sa pangarap mo. Ang kailangan mo lang ay maniwala sa Diyos, sa sarili mo, sa kakayanin mo at sa mga taong naniniwala sayo." she said and stressed the value of patience and persistence that inspired many Filipinos particularly young weightlifters in her village and aspiring Olympic Medalists like her. 
Diaz has also shared her unforgettable experiences in her own field of sports. Many said, that being an athlete is like having a jockpot prize that can be maintained through the years of trainings. But on her side, it was different story. She explained that it's easy for people to say that because they are not in their position. 

That they cannot feel the pressure when other's got to post their messages online and express their at most support for her upcoming competion- that even they can tell it or not there was still an expectation that awaits for her when she came back. 

This year, another bomb has flared and trigered a lot of reactions from the netizens on what she have posted on her Instagram account; saying that the financial support she recieved from the Government isn't enough to cover up her expenses in all preparations she will be needing for the upcomming 2020 Tokyo Olympics. That later, answered by Butch Ramirez, the PSC (Philippine Sports Commission) chairman who addressed the statement of saying Diaz receives one of the highest allowances in the National pool. 

He also added that they already gave the 4.5 million to fund her training  in china also paying the monthly salary and food allowance of her coach, juluis Kaiwen Gao. 

Although, this issue has spotted to be a viral one, Hidilyn still thinks that it is better to let people know what has been the major problem in handling athletes fund through the years and didn't regret what she said about her needing an action towards her financial problems. With that, her bravery has complimented by many enough to make them give her a title as the 'Iron Woman' of the Philippine Sports. 

Photo Credits: Ichigo121212 (Pixabay) 
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