Hidilyn Diaz is the newest addition to this country’s list of prides. Winning a silver medal at the recently-wrapped Rio 2016 Summer Olympics, Diaz broke the 20-year Olympic medal drought for the Philippines. And the country is so proud of her. Both President Rodrigo Duterte and Vice President Leni Robredo even extended their gratitude to Diaz, who is also an airforce soldier, for bringing honor to the country.
WATCH: Filipino Long Jump Queen Shares Inspiring Olympics Journey While Balancing Motherhood and Training
As the country celebrates her success, photojournalist Jes Aznar searched through his personal archive to share an old photo he took of Diaz. It was taken about 9 years ago, when she was only 16 years old. See the photo below:
A photo of Hidilyn Diaz that I took almost 9 years ago, and she is still making waves. Congratulations!
Posted by Jes Aznar on Sunday, August 7, 2016
Safe to say, Hidilyn Diaz has come a long way, from this training center in the Philippines to the Olympics, sharing the stage with the world’s best athletes—and taking home a silver medal in the process.
VP Robredo puts it best, referring to Diaz: “You serve as an inspiration to every Filipino and a reminder that no challenge is too heavy for a Filipina woman to overcome.”
