When Hidilyn Diaz lifted that awe-inspiring 127-kg barbell to earn the Philippines’ very first gold Olympics medal, we all saw one man run to catch her burst of emotion: her strength and conditioning coach, Julius Naranjo.
But unbeknownst to many, the half-Japanese half-Filipino coach has been catching Hidilyn through more than her weightlifting feats, as they’ve been in a relationship for many years now. Now that’s an uplifting story.
Here’s what we know about their golden love story.
They met in Turkmenistan during a weightlifting competition
The two already had their separate but entangled pursuits before meeting one another. Julius was representing Guam in the men’s 62kg division when he crossed paths with the fellow weightlifter in 2017.
“The fact that I love weightlifting so much as much as she loves it so much, too, we inspire each other to be better, because I really want her to achieve the highest point in her career,” Julius had shared.
For first impressions, Hidilyn always had a feeling that Julius had a crush on her. Julius, on the other hand, mentioned that “I didn’t have much impressions of her as I had no idea of her historic feat and what she has done for the Philippines.”
Weightlifting drew them closer
From then on, Julius set aside his own personal priorities and joined Hidilyn’s team to be a consistent coach and inspire her along the way. Soon, their friendship blossomed into a romance founded on the same vision.
“Hidilyn is really a loving person. She really gives her all to the people she loves. Her humble beginnings and her selflessness and loving heart are truly admirable,” Julius furthered. Through both of their goals, Julius is now one of the most sought-after coaches in the world of weightlifting.
Their petnames are “daddy” and “baby”
Hidilyn refers to her longtime coach and all-around partner as “daddy”, meanwhile Julius prefers to keep it classic with “baby” and “honey.”
It isn’t always lovey-dovey though, as during training and professional setting he simply calls her by the nickname “Haidie.” The two are also pretty private on social media, as their weightlifting pursuit takes up most of their Instagram feeds.
“Chinito” has always been Hidilyn’s type
Can someone say manifested? Apparently, Hidilyn has always had an inkling for “tall, fair, and chinito” types of men. With his Japanese descent and American accent, Julius definitely fits in that box.
They are ready to settle down
After Hidilyn’s history-making win, the couple has shown signs of wanting to get married after her Olympics bout. In an interview in 2019, Julius slyly said that “We agreed, after the Olympics.”
Meanwhile, Hidilyn revealed that she’s ready to get married and is only waiting on her beloved lift and life partner: “Ako gusto kong magpakasal. Gusto ko. Pero siyempre, hinihintay ko siya.”
