From scraps to medals: Filipina weightlifting prospect begins rise with SEA Games silver

PHNOM PENH – Not so long ago, Lovely Inan was scouring the streets of Angono, Rizal for metal scraps, used bottles and plastics to sell to junk shops.

Now, the 17-year-old weightlifting prospect is in the business of hunting medals in international competitions.

The former “mangangalakal” scored her biggest collar to date when she won the silver in the women’s 49kg class in her maiden Southeast Asian Games outing behind Rio Olympics champion Sanikun Tanasan of Thailand no less.

“Mangangalakal po kami dati,” said Inan, who helped her father Manny Boy, a carpenter, and mother, Ceferina, a seamstress, make ends meet.

It was Inan’s scavenging activities when she was 10 that had led her to the path of weightlifting. Passing by the house/gym of the Pep Project Weightlifting, the girl carrying a sack of scraps caught the eye of owner and coach Richard Pep Agosto.

“Nadadaanan ko lang ang bahay ni coach. Laging may bumabagsak, hindi ko alam kung ano yan, basta ang lakas ng bagsak. Then kinausap niya ako sabi niya ‘dito ka na sa weightlifting, mababago ang buhay mo,” she recalled.

And so it did.

After dominating in the Batang Pinoy, Inan made it to the national team in 2021 and competed in a number of international tournaments, including the world youth.

“Nakakatulong na ako sa pamilya ko (with allowance as national athlete,” she shared.

Her breakthrough silver here guarantees Inan P150,000 in cash incentives from the government.

“Lagi naming usapan namin ni coach, huwag kalimutan ang savings, laging mag-ipon kahit gumastos nang konti,” Inan said.

There’s one thing she might buy for herself as a reward.

“Baka iphone,” she said.

Asked what she can advise other scavengers, the SEAG silver medalist said: “Pumasok sila sa sports.”