The Philippines’ first Olympic gold medalist, Hidilyn Diaz, was recently honored with her very own Eastwood Walk of Fame star.
On Wednesday night, January 18, Eastwood City immortalized the influence of Hidilyn Diaz in Philippine sports, granting her a Walk of Fame star.
In the 2020 Tokyo Olympics, Diaz became the Philippines’ first Olympic gold medalist as she won the women’s 55kg weightlifting category. In addition to this, Diaz also recently won three gold medals at the Weightlifting World Championship in Bogota, Colombia.
With this, she has become a source of pride among Filipinos.
On top of this, she is also influencing many athletes to pursue their dreams. Among her efforts is the weightlifting gym she opened to encourage more Filipino athletes into the sport.
Thus, as a star in her own right, the Eastwood City Walk of Fame is just one way to celebrate her contributions to the country.
On Wednesday night, the Olympian attended the Walk of Fame sporting a black and white Filipiniana dress and celebrated her star with her coach and husband Julius Naranjo. In addition, fellow Filipino sports legend Paeng Nepomuceno was also present at the event.
But Diaz was not the only honoree of the evening. Joining her on the Walk of Fame was Maja Salvador for television, Ricky Lee for film, Mario Dumaual for news, and Tony Mabesa for theater.
“Salamat sa karangalan na ito. Di ko inakala nandito pangalan ko sa [star] na ito sa Walk of Fame dito sa Eastwood,” she posted on her Instagram to celebrate her honor.
Article images from Hidilyn Diaz on Instagram.
Related Stories:
Just snatched: Hidilyn Diaz and her athlete-packed wedding
Meet Stéphanie Frappart: The first female referee at a men’s World Cup match
Lifting the nation: The rise of Philippine weightlifting