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JAKARTA, Indonesia – When she stepped on her first ride in 2012, Margielyn Didal already knew that she was born to skate.
As she basks in Asian Games skateboard glory, the 19-year-old Cebuana says she will never forget the trials she faced in the last 8 years just for a chance to skate freely.
"Dati, illegal 'yung skateboarding sa Philippines. May hawak kang skateboard, tini-try mo mag-skate sa daan, hinuhuli ka [ng police]," Didal said.
(Before, skateboarding was illegal in the Philippines. When you carry a skateboard and try to skate on the streets, the police will apprehend you.)
Now with a gold medal to prove the potential of Filipino skaters in the international front, Didal can change the game for the local skate scene.
If Filipino athletes such as Margielyn are gearing up for the Tokyo 2020 Olympics, then the race to the Philippines' first Olympic gold has already begun. – Rappler.com