All fun: Margielyn Didal raring to get back on board

Despite recent setbacks and injuries, skateboarding star Margielyn Didal still finds joy in the sport and feels grateful for the chance to work back on her game

MANILA, Philippines – The competitive fire remains raging for skateboarder Margielyn Didal, even after suffering setback after setback in recent years.

“I try to enjoy skateboarding, especially during competition where I could join,” Didal told reporters after the premiere of “Beyond the Board,” a documentary chronicling her life and career.

“I just realized I have come a long way. Kahit malayo pa, malayo na (I’ve gone far, but there’s more to go). I have achieved many things, and happy to share it with other people, not just in skating,” she added.

Didal, the 2018 Asian Games gold medalist and Tokyo Olympian, continues to recover from a shattered left ankle injury she suffered during a run in Brazil in 2022, leaving her out of action for several months.

As she tried to inch closer in regaining her form, she stumbled to eighth and last place in the 19th Asian Games in 2022, failing to defend her title.

Didal also failed to make the cut in the 2024 Paris Olympics, just two spots short of a top 44 world ranking needed to punch a ticket to the quadrennial sports showpiece.

Despite not making it to Paris as a competitor, the jovial and congenial Cebuana received an invite to go there as a spectator.

“[Organizers] have also invited me to go watch, or be in Paris for a very different experience. So we’ll see if I get the visa. [When I get there], I’ll scream and cheer,” said Didal.

“There’s still a need to be 100 percent [physically], so they (skateboard fans) could feel that Margie is still there. But if not, I’ll cheer for them (Olympians) at home, or wherever in the world I will be,” she continued.

Didal was front and center in the debut documentary narrated and executively produced by sports personality and newscaster Gretchen Ho for her “Woman in Action” series.

The one hour and seven minute-long documentary delves into the start of Didal’s career as a relatively late bloomer in the sport at 12, where she had to borrow skateboards, and sneak away from home to participate in competitions.

In her journey, she used to work odd jobs such as cooking instant noodles for skateboarders. There, she frequently asked questions about the sport to her eventual coach Dani Bautista.

Just three months into skateboarding, the soon-to-be teenager overcame financial difficulty and limited access to facilities, competing in her first meet in Cebu, kicking off a fruitful career.

Now the face of the sport in the country, Didal was still rendered speechless when asked of her reaction that many aspiring skateboarders look up to her.

“I feel shy, but I remember how a young Margie used to look up to others as well, and now I’m being idolized. It warms my heart.” – Rappler.com

Watch the full documentary here: Beyond the Board | The Margielyn Didal Story