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How a NY-based Fil-Am physical therapist helped Hidilyn Diaz win Olympic gold

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Don Tagala | TFC News New York

<figure class="op-interactive"><iframe height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/_NlTNWuX8YA?enablejsapi=1" width="560"></iframe></figure><div class="iwantbar">Watch more in <a href="//www.iwantv.com.ph/">iWantv</a> or <a href="//tfc.tv/">TFC.tv</a></div><p>Fil-Am doctor Zeena Hernandez was among those impacted at the peak of the COVID-19 pandemic. Her sports physical therapy clinic in Brooklyn called &#x27;Good Reps&#x27; had to shut down for three months in 2020 for safety reasons.</p><p>But early this year, she took a chance in opening a new clinic in Brooklyn even before the city fully reopened. &quot;Sobrang nakakatakot, but at the same time you know fortune favors the bold (It was scary but at the same time, you know fortune favors the bold),&quot; said Hernandez.</p><p>Good Reps specializes in helping powerlifters. Hernandez is into powerlifting herself but after she got injured years ago, she said it was difficult for her to find a physical therapist who could help her get back to lifting weights &quot;because let&#x27;s say, I say a &#x27;snatch&#x27; or a &#x27;clean and jerk.&#x27; Some physical therapists won&#x27;t know what that is just because it&#x27;s very niche.&quot;</p><p>That&#x27;s why she took it upon herself to specifically address the needs of weightlifters. &quot;I started to develop my orthopedic skills, really leaning towards catering to barbell athletes and runners because those sort of things I enjoyed.&quot;</p><div class="embed-wrap"><figure data-feedback="fb:likes,fb:comments"><img alt="Zeena Hernandez trained Hidilyn Diaz virtually." src="http://sa.kapamilya.com/absnews/abscbnnews/media/2021/tfc/08/06/20210806_zeena-hidilyn-training_medium.jpg"/><figcaption>Fil-Am physical therapist Zeena Hernandez trained Hidilyn Diaz virtually ahead of the Tokyo Olympics.</figcaption></figure></div><p>One of her now-famous clients is weightlifter Hidilyn Diaz, who recently made history as the first Filipino to ever win an Olympic gold medal. Diaz trained virtually with Hernandez earlier this year in preparation for the 2020 Tokyo Games. Hernandez said her clinic did the evaluation and prescribed Diaz specific exercises for her specific needs.</p><p>Hernandez and her wife, Lisa Yang, who also happens to be a powerlifter, said they were in awe of Diaz&#x27;s monumental achievement. &quot;Nakakaiyak (it made me cry)... If you&#x27;re a fan of weightlifting, you know that it&#x27;s very hard to beat China and the athlete that Heidi was going against, had never lost.&quot;</p><p>The couple first met Diaz in 2018 when they collaborated with her team to send weightlifting shoes to poor young weightlifters in the Philippines.</p><p>Hernandez shared, &quot;I see videos from Hidi where kids are training and they don&#x27;t have shoes. I know how hard that is... so I was like maybe we can collect the shoes for the holidays; people can donate them, we’ll clean them and maybe we can even raise money.&quot;</p><p>Hernandez hopes she could work again with Diaz for the four-time Olympian&#x27;s next competition.</p>

A New York-based Fil-Am physical therapist shares how she helped Olympic gold medalist Hidilyn Diaz during her training for the Tokyo Games.