Olympic Channel pays tribute to Margielyn Didal, PH skateboarding scene
By Carlo Anolin
Filipina skateboarding icon Margielyn Didal was recently featured by the Olympic Channel as she guns for a spot in the 2021 Tokyo Olympics.
In the original series "By Her Rules," the Olympic Channel highlighted Didal's humble beginning from being a skater of the street -- literally -- to becoming one of the heroes of the skateboarding scene in the Philippines.
READ: Didal raring to compete in Olympic qualifiers despite possible outright berth
The 22-year-old Didal, who is known not only for her skateboarding skills but also for breaking gender stereotypes, recalled how skateboarding paved the way for the momentous changes in her life.
"There's no right and wrong with skateboarding. As long as you're enjoying it, that's good," said Didal in the initial parts of the video.
Though her parents, specifically her mother Julie, were at first hesitant for Didal's future career in skateboarding.
The jolly Cebuana skater proved that she got what it takes to be a professional by ruling local competitions first before taking her act overseas.
Through the years, after almost a decade of being in the scene, Didal has earned a name of her own by bagging several gold medals including the 2019 Southeast Asian Games and the 2018 Asian Games.
Didal, the first Filipino to represent the country in the Street League Skateboarding and X Games in 2018, ruled the 2019 Philippine National Skateboarding Championship and was recently named as the 2020 Asia Skateboarder of the Year.
"I'm going to skate as long as I can, no matter what my age is," said Didal. "Skateboarding is the same as life. Don't be afraid to fail or to fall."
Meanwhile, Didal, who is seeded at No. 14 in world rankings and No. 3 in Asia, needs to maintain a good spot in the Olympic World Skateboarding Rankings (OSWR) until June 29 to qualify for the Tokyo Games.