It’s never too late to earn a degree. Just ask Hidilyn Diaz.
The country’s first and only Olympic gold medalist received her bachelor’s degree in Business Administration on Saturday.
And the 32-year-old native of Zamboanga City could not help but look back on her journey to get there.
“Nakakaiyak din pala. Not an ordinary day.
“Inabot din ng 16 years, nag-shift ng course, nag-transfer ng school, nag-LOA dahil ang hirap pagsabayin ang pagwe-weightlifting at pag-aaral,” she reflected.
Diaz initially went to Universidad de Zamboanga in the early 2010s to pursue a degree in computer science.
After the 2016 Rio Olympics however, she decided to move to Manila.
That’s when CSB offered her a scholarship.
In 2019, she took a leave of absence but re-enrolled during the pandemic.
“Dreaming of graduating from college and earning a degree while preparing for the Olympics. Hindi ko akalain na magagawa ko, after sleepless nights and tiring days from training while attending school at De La Salle – College of St. Benilde. Posible pala,” she continued.
Now with a degree, the Air Force personnel hopes to inspire every student-athlete to continue pushing despite the challenges given to them.
“Kung nakaya ko, kaya ng mga student-athletes, at mga bata at sa lahat na gusto makapagtapos, age doesn’t matter, mahirap pero super worth it.”
