HIDILYN Diaz remains motivated to raise the bar even after winning the country's first-ever Olympic gold medal in the 2020 Tokyo Games.
Diaz has set her sights on more success beyond the Olympics, looking to compete in the World Weightlifting Championships in December in Peru as well as the Asian Games and the Southeast Asian Games which will be held next year.
The Olympic heroine, however, has become so big a celebrity since the Tokyo gold medal, deluged with requests for appearances, photo shoots and interviews, that she admitted that finding time for training has become a challenge.
“More pressure and more intense training is expected,” said Under Armour brand's premier endorser. “The challenge now is how will I maintain and sustain my strength, even surpass my personal record for me to continue what I’m doing.
Embrace the challenges
"The situation is harder now because I became busy with the unexpected blessings," she said. “I just need to embrace, adapt, and learn from these challenges."
Over two months since the Olympic triumph, Diaz remains busy with commitments outside weightlifting. But she hopes to be able to get back to her normal routine and plunge to intense training in the coming months.
The World Championships will be her first tournament after the Tokyo Games. She also plans to defend the gold medals she won in the Asian Games (in 2018 in Indonesia) and the Southeast Asian Games (2019 in Manila).
Her performances in these three events will weigh in her decision on whether to give a second Olympic gold medal at shot at the 2024 Paris Games, if ever the fifth of a legendary career, by which time she would be 33.
[Read Hidilyn Diaz on the challenges she has to face after Olympic win]
As challenging as the road ahead is, the Zamboanga native feels grateful to have Team HD by her side to get her back in top competitive form.
"I need people that could help me go back to basic," Diaz said. "I’m thankful that I’m surrounded with people that can help me surpass this. I know in time my schedule will be alright, in time I can train six to eight sessions a week."
“In time I can sit and reflect everything what happened. I will walk this journey, enjoy the moment, and still continue training even it’s hard because I can make it,” she added.
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