JUST when they were cooling down after a long training day some time in mid-2019, Hidilyn Diaz and her training partner Roanne Beltran took their phones out for a quick social media check, a quick breather after hard practice.
Upon opening Twitter, they came across an outlandish tweet that mentioned Diaz’s name.
The two initially burst into laughter, brushing off the ambiguous allegations, and carried on throughout the rest of her day.
But as they were about to turn in for the night inside their shared condo unit, they came to realize that the matter was more serious than they thought.
This was the day that presidential spokesperson Salvador Panelo had included Diaz in an alleged "Oust Duterte" conspiracy.
From then on, Beltran recalled, Diaz’s anxiety level started spiraling up.
“Kinagabihan ‘non, nagsimula na siyang umiyak. Na-realize namin na hindi pala siya joke,” Beltran, Diaz’ best pal and long-time roommate, shared with SPIN Life. “Ilang araw, ilang linggo siyang umiiyak. Nahila talaga siya pababa ‘nung nangyari na ‘yon.”
Beltran, a former gymnastics national team member, stood by her side all along, trying her best to keep up Diaz's spirits.
Pal of Hidilyn Diaz through life's ups and downs
Their bond goes way back.
From roommates in Rizal Memorial Stadium in 2014, they have become each other’s training partners, weekend warriors, and confidantes.
“First impression ko sa kanya, suplada kasi nga weightlifter eh, iba kilos, tapos ma-muscles. Pero kalaunan, lagi na kaming magkasama, lagi kaming nagbobonding dalawa, kakain sa labas, tapos every Sunday, magsisimba kami, hindi pwedeng hindi,” Beltran said.
On the mats, Diaz was also the gymnast's loudest cheerleader.
“’Pag may competition ako before, nandon siya, laging nanonood. Nakaka-touch yon. Akala ko hindi siya makakapunta kasi nga alam kong busy siya at may training, pero magugulat ako, nandyan siya at nagtsi-cheer sa akin,” she said.
Beltran added: “Siya ‘yung kaibigan na sobrang supportive.”
Diaz made such an impact on Beltran that the gymnast shifted to weightlifting in 2018.
“Siya nga dahilan bakit nandito na ko ngayon, coach na lang ako sa gymnastics, pero siya ang coach ko sa weightlifting. Sobrang strict niyan, napaka-disiplinadong tao,” said Beltran. “Hindi pwedeng tamarin eh. ‘Pag practice na, tatawagan ako niyan: ‘Oh, nasan ka na?’”
So when the entire "matrix" issue hit, she knew that her friend was experiencing one of the lowest points of her life.
Almost called it quits
“May mga araw bigla ‘yang iiyak tapos sasabihin, ‘Gusto ko na mag-quit,’ tapos ako syempre maiiyak din ako, pero sasabihin niya na ‘wag na akong umiyak. Hindi ko na din alam gagawin ko pero sinasabi ko sa kanya that time na ‘Hids, paano na ‘yung gold?’” she bared.
As much as they could, the pair avoided social media.
“Lagi kaming nagdadasal, tapos iniisip namin na ‘itong mga sacrifice na ‘to, once na manalo siya, maiintindihan ‘to ng Pilipinas,” she said.
When Diaz wrote the Instagram post asking financial help from her followers in June 2019, Beltran was by her side.
“’Nung time na ‘yon, hindi namin akalain na makakabangon siya sa mga pinagdaanan niya. Sobrang desidido na siya sumuko pero lagi kong sinasabi na naniniwala akong mag-go-gold siya,” she remembered.
From the ground up
On top of it all, Diaz didn’t dwell on the emotional toll. She picked herself up, lent a helping hand to her friends, and even spearheaded a couple of charity works with Beltran.
“Si Haidie, matulungin yan sa ibang tao. Pati nga dito sa ampunan namin, tumutulong ‘yan. ‘Yung mga kaibigan niya na foreigner athletes, nagdo-donate sila, sa amin niya lahat binibigay,” she said.
Beltran helps out in an orphanage in San Martin de Porres Foundation, where they teach young kids sports as leisure.
“Hindi ‘yan nahihiyang mag-post sa social media para magcollect ng funds para sa amin,” she said.
More than that, they also share an intense bonding over books.
“Morning routine namin, gigising, magdadasal, tapos magbabasa na ng books,” she shared. “Actually lahat nga ng books niya, andito lahat ngayon sa akin kasi nga wala siya sa Pilipinas. Mahilig ‘yan na ‘pag may nabasa siyang maganda, irereccommend niya sakin at babasahin ko talaga.”
They also have the same love for the color pink.
And of course, let's not forget food! (But only during cheat days, of course.)
Lift of fate for Hidilyn Diaz
When Diaz clinched silver in the 2016 Rio Olympics, gold in the 2018 Asian Games in Jakarta, and gold in the 2019 SEA Games, Beltran was ever present — from the anxiety-filled moments in between to the tearful celebrations on the podium.
“Kung pwede nga lang sana sa Tokyo, kasama niya sana ako, pero hindi eh. Excited na akong umuwi siya,” she said. “Dati kasi, tuwing may overseas, after ng competition kakain kami sa labas, lalakad-lakad kaming dalawa bago umuwi.”
The only time they were away from each other is when Diaz begun training in Malaysia the past few months in preparation for Tokyo.
But they made sure to catch up in the most efficient way, through videocalls.
And in Tokyo 2020, even before Diaz stepped onto the competition stage, she shared her nerve-racking feelings to Beltran.
“Nung opening, magka-chat kami, minsan, video call pantanggal stress. Sabi niya, excited daw siya and kinakabahan at the same time,” recounted Roanne.
Fast forward to now and Beltran isn't just pals with any other Olympian, but none other than the country's first ever gold medalist in the Olympics.
Through trainings, hardships, and matrixes, here Roanne stands proud to be a Filipino, and all the more prouder to call Haidie her best friend.
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