ARRIVING back home after a memorable stint in the 2020 Tokyo Games, the first thing Margielyn Didal hoped for in her first Instagram post back is to have more skateparks in the Philippines.
The 22-year-old finished seventh in the women’s street skateboarding final in her Olympic debut.
“My first Olympic was epic,” she wrote on Instagram as she thanked everyone who supported her journey to Tokyo.
She also added: “[I] wish we can have good skateparks in the Philippines too so that I can share how fun skateboarding is."
This echoed a similar plea she had already made back in 2019, after winning gold in the 30th Southeast Asian Games.
"Please, Philippines, wake up po tayo,” she said at the time. “First day, first event natin, we got three medals in one day from skateboarding. But we need to wake up. Ilan ba skate parks ngayon. Para magising po lahat. Kailangan natin ng skate parks and (there will be) more medals to come.”
Margielyn Didal is now back from Tokyo
Didal arrived back in the country on Wednesday night, together with weightlifting gold medalist Hidilyn Diaz.
The Filipina was able to finish the games a gallant fight in the event finals, despite having to train overseas due to a lack of quality skateparks in the country.
Right before the Olympic opening, Didal had to sojourn in the United States for last-minute training.
The Cebuana grew up skating in the hard asphalts in the streets.
But just last April 2021, she unveiled a personal training facility in Soul Sierra, Cebu, with the help of her major sponsor, Red Bull and the National Skateboarding Association.
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