Hidilyn Diaz balances coaching and training as she prepares for SEA Games 2025

Weightlifter Hidilyn Diaz is one of the most recognizable athletes in Philippine history after making history at the 2020 Olympic Games in Tokyo, Japan, where she became the first Filipino to win a gold medal at the Summer Games.

Diaz continues to harbor hopes of winning another gold for the Philippines despite failing to qualify for the 2024 Olympic Games in Paris. The 34-year-old is currently busy training for the upcoming 33rd Southeast Asian (SEA) Games in Thailand, scheduled from December 9 to 20.

She is set to compete in the women’s 58-kilogram category in Thailand, which means she has to cut weight — something the Olympic champion isn’t too worried about. The Zamboanga native believes that consistency in training and nutrition will help her secure a third SEA Games gold medal.

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“I need to commit myself because I got bigger. I need to go on a diet and train with higher intensity. Dropping my weight isn’t that big of a deal since I grew up with it,” Diaz told reporters.

LOOK: Olympic gold medalist Hidilyn Diaz, the Philippine Sports Commission, the Department of Education, and the Department of Budget and Management are joining forces to provide weightlifting training equipment to schools across the country.

📸: Hidilyn Diaz, PSC / Instagram pic.twitter.com/GiNo46iRCO

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Aside from her own preparations, Diaz is also busy coaching at her very own Weightlifting Academy, where her athletes are training for the Batang Pinoy set for October 25–30 in General Santos City.

“I started my training before coaching them because it’s hard to do both at the same time. We are training 45 athletes, so it’s good that I don’t train and coach simultaneously. We are here to support them,” she added.

The daughter of a tricycle driver who turned to farming and fishing in Zamboanga, Diaz began lifting weights at age nine using makeshift barbells. She entered her first major competition at the 2002 Batang Pinoy and joined the Philippine national team two years later at age 13.

She won her first medal, a bronze, at the 2007 Nakhon Ratchasima SEA Games as a 16-year-old and made her Olympic debut at Beijing 2008 at 17.

Her breakthrough came at the 2016 Rio Olympics, where she claimed silver in the women’s 53-kg division. Diaz is also one of the few Filipino Olympic multi-medalists, joining the ranks of Carlos Yulo, Nesthy Petecio, and the late Teofilo Yldefonso. Beyond the Olympics, she has captured gold medals at the World Championships, Asian Championships, Asian Games, and Southeast Asian Games.

Now, all eyes will be on whether she can once again deliver glory for the Philippines as she looks to prove herself among Southeast Asia’s best.