RIO Olympics silver medalist for weightlifting Hidilyn Diaz was recently announced as Under Armour’s latest UA Athlete. Diaz says that she is “proud to be on the same level as other athletes and celebrities who are affiliated with Under Armour” and lauds the brand for supporting the journey of the Filipino athletes.
“I am also happy that I can get to use Under Armour everyday, especially for my training. With Threadborne, the material is so light, it is like I am not wearing anything. I can move freely”, says Diaz, about Threadborne, Under Armour’s latest line. Diaz got into the sport of weightlifting when she was 11 years old. “I saw that my cousins enjoyed it, so I tried my hand in it. I also tried volleyball and basketball, but it wasn’t for me”, says Diaz.
But apart from learning weightlifting from her cousins, they also taught her the power of visualization. “My cousins taught me the art of visualization. So I would imagine myself sitting by the beach and looking at the sea at first, then I would imagine myself wearing a medal while lifting weights,” continues Diaz.
Fast-forward 14 years after, she wins the silver medal for weightlifting. “It wasn’t easy. There were a lot of obstacles. Last 2014, I wanted to quit but my mind struggled between giving up and fighting for my dreams. Luckily, the latter won. I didn’t quit. I willed myself to go on and continue. I said to myself, what about my dreams?”
Born on February 20, 1991, the 26 year old Diaz, who hails from Zamboanga, knows that she took a huge risk when she moved to Manila last 2010. She had to drop-out of college and focus on the sport. She was 2nd year college then. She moved to Manila with the dream of winning. “I’ve forgotten about that visualization. But when I was interviewed by Chino Trinidad during the People Asia awards, he asked me if it was always my dream, I then remembered it. It all came back to me. But now, what I want to focus on is Tokyo 2020, that’s my next goal.”
She has gone back to school now, currently taking up Business Management at CSB and is setting new goals such as winning in Tokyo, Japan in 2020. With this in mind, she continues her rigorous training of eight sessions per week, with each session lasting for around 2 1/2 hours.
“The Filipinos can excel in the sport. I hope a lot more Filipinos can try weightlifting. I love this sport, this sport has done a lot for me,” says Diaz before heading back to training.
Diaz is also expected to compete in Under Armour’s Test of Will, which is to be held this weekend, March 25 & 26 at Glorietta in Makati City.
‘TEST OF WILL’ NATIONAL HEATS SET ON MARCH 25 – 26 AT GLORIETTA
Meanwhile, with the recently concluded Under Armour ‘Test of Will’ national Heats in Malaysia and Thailand, the spotlight is now focused on the Philippines; as to who will be the Philippines’ representatives to the much- awaited regional competition of Under Armour’s ‘Test of Will’.
The annual urban fitness challenge ‘Test of Will’ returns for its second edition, which is set on March 25 to 26 at Glorietta Activity Center in Makati City. Organized by high performance sportswear label Under Armour, the event sets out to celebrate human performance through intense functional training challenges for the most determined athletes, goal-getters and fitness aspirants.
With the addition of Indonesia and Brunei this year, the regional fitness competition that also takes place in Singapore, Malaysia, Thailand, and the Philippines is expected to be more intense than the previous year. Participants will compete in a four-minute circuit consisting of Burpees, One Arm Thruster, TRX Rows and Sandbag Throw. Each player will be scored based on the maximum number of repetitions they can achieve within 60 seconds. The highest scoring man and woman of the national heats from each participating country will compete in the regional finals happening in Kuala Lumpur on May 6.
Then, the overall champion of the regional finals will walk away with S$2,500 cash prize, and winners will also get head-to-toe gear and exclusive discounts.
“The Test of Will is for everyone and anyone with the determination and discipline to train and compete,” said Mr. Michael Binger, CEO of Triple Pte Ltd, exclusive distributor of Under Armour in Southeast Asia. “Last year, we witnessed champions crowned from the most unexpected individuals. The event epitomizes the might of the determined and the spirit of the underdogs, something which Under Armour stands for.” Under Armour also recently launched its latest apparel and footwear collections engineered with the Threadborne™ technology leading up to the national heats; to equip participants with the gear to train and compete at the highest level. The Threadborne™ Siro and Seamless collections are made from fabric that is light, breathable, anti-cling, quick drying and provides a high-level of stretch and recovery. “Under Armour took the ultra-durable yarns within paracords, and rebuilt them into apparel material that can withstand the rigors of intensive use,” said Binger. “The result is a next generation fabric that gives athletes an edge to perform better through enhanced comfort and durability.”
Overall male and female winners of the Test of Will 2016, Jet Ng and Zoe Pond-McPherson shared the following tips for this year’s challenges.
“When you feel good, you will perform better. So, train hard, eat well, get enough rest, and make sure you feel as comfortable as you can be on that day.” said Ng.
“You will be pitted against many other athletes who have trained hard for their goals. Your ability to focus on that day will be as important as your fitness level.” said Pond-McPherson.
The Test of Will 2017 Philippines National Heats is still open for registration. Simply log on to testfofwill.com to indicate your preferred date and time, no registration fee is required. Participants must be 21 years old and above, and must be a Philippine Citizen or Permanent Resident to qualify for theregional finals.
For more information and details on the Armour@TheFort series, visit www.tripleready.com/events.