The champion’s humility

Philippine weightlifter Hidilyn Diaz had to overcome ‘so many adversities’ before winning gold at the Tokyo Olympics. REUTERS

In my usual R&R and reflection mode every Sunday, I get to watch Pope Francis on YouTube. On August 15, 2021, the Holy Father addressed the faithful gathered at Saint Peter’s Square for the Sunday Angelus on the Solemnity of the Assumption of Mary.

In that address, I heard the Holy Father saying that Mary reminds us that God calls us to glory through humility. (Humility, in my assessment, is probably a rare virtue nowadays.) When Pope Francis said that, I suddenly remembered our first Olympic gold medalist Hidilyn Diaz.

I say humility is quite a rare virtue nowadays because almost everyone wants to be noticed by all means – in sports, entertainment, lifestyle, and politics. Remember how Muhammad Ali would yell after each victory: “I am the greatest!” Floyd Mayweather Jr. said with his usual air of haughtiness: “I respect Ali and Sugar Ray Robinson. But as of now, I feel I’m the best.”

A professional Swedish footballer, one of the world’s most prolific strikers, made this egotistical remark: “I am the North, I am the South, I am the East, and I am the West. I am Zlatan Ibrahimovic.” In Michael Jordan’s 2009 Speech at Hall of Fame Induction, the “greatest” didn’t point to God. His word “greatest” pointed to himself.

Hidilyn Diaz is different. We all watched moments after she lifted the barbell, which was more than twice her body weight, the officials announcing her victory. There was euphoria among her small group. While Diaz was being congratulated, a man handed back the Miraculous Medal and placed it around her neck.

There was never a claim to greatness, not even a murmur of self-praise. What she said in Tagalog was “Grabe si God, grabe si God.” The Filipino champion of the women’s 55-kilogram weightlifting Olympic event attributed all her efforts and sweet victory to God.

What “Grabe si God” meant was “God is really awesome!” as if Diaz was praying aloud Mary’s Magnificat. God looked with favor on Hidilyn Diaz, his lowly servant, the child of Eduardo the tricycle driver. What “Grabe si God” meant was that God is good all the time. And the 30-year-old weightlifter really intended by using those words to glorify the Almighty God, acknowledging the role of Divine Providence in her life.

Walang tunay na tagumpay kung hindi ito nagmumula sa Diyos, Manila Archbishop Jose Cardinal Advincula was wont to say when he congratulated Diaz. “There is no true victory if it does not come from God.”

When the 2021 version of the ancient Panhellenic glorious festival held every four years opened on July 23, 2021, it opened to a sea of empty seats in an empty stadium. For the first time, the Olympic Games were held without domestic or foreign spectators in all 42 venues in Tokyo – without fans, without cheering, and without the noise of excitement due to COVID-19.

We have never won gold since the Philippines first participated in the 1924 Paris Olympics. That’s 97 years of drought and misery. We were the first Southeast Asian country to compete in the Olympics, and yet the world sees our athletes as the underdogs, until Nesthy Petecio, silver medalist in boxing (women’s feather), Carlo Paalam, bronze medalist in boxing (men’s flyweight), and Eumir Marcial, bronze medalist in boxing (men’s middle) made the Filipino people proud in the just concluded 2021 Tokyo Olympics.

Most of all, Zamboangueña Hidilyn Diaz showed us not just a silver lining but a golden lining in the dark clouds. Hidilyn Diaz wrote sports history not only as the Philippines’ first-ever Olympic gold medalist but also as the Filipino champion – ever God-loving, Marian, and humble – to lift the Catholic spirit up in a time when it is diving south.

The Gospel that same Assumption Sunday was about Mary’s Magnificat. Without assuming too much, I guess Mary’s Magnificat could be Hidilyn Diaz’s own personal glorification of God afterall.

My soul glorifies the Lord

and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior.

For he has been mindful

of the humble state of his servant.

For the Mighty One has done great things for me—

holy is his name.

He has performed mighty deeds with his arm;

He has scattered those who are proud in their inmost thoughts.

He has brought down rulers from their thrones

but has lifted up the humble.

Jose Mario Bautista Maximiano (facebook.com/josemario.maximiano) is the author of Spiritual Man: Christian Anthropology (St. Paul’s, 1995), Why Remain a Catholic? (St. Paul’s, 1994), and The Signs of the Times and the Social Doctrine of the Church: An Epistemology(Salesiana, 1991).