Sheila Mae Pérez

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Sheila Mae Perez, born in 1986, is a Filipina Olympic diver. Reuters describes her as "one of the best divers in Southeast Asia".

Perez was brought up in a poor family in Davao City. She reportedly "helped her poverty-stricken parents make ends meet by diving from cargo ships to retrieve scrap metal".

She represented her country at the 2000 Summer Olympics in Sydney, finishing 32nd out of 56. She qualified to take part in the 2004 Summer Olympics in Athens, but was reportedly "unable to compete". She represented the Philippines at the 2008 Summer Olympics at Beijing for the second time.

Perez won two medals at the 2003 Southeast Asian Games, and three gold medals at the 2005 Southeast Asian Games, in the 3-metre springboard, synchronised 3-metre springboard and 1-metre springboard events, becoming the first ever triple-gold medallist from the Philippines at the Games. She won a gold and a silver in the 2007 Southeast Asian Games, not having competed in the synchronised event due to her partner Ceseil Domenios, sister of another Filipino diver Zardo Domenios, having retired.

In 2006, her life story was dramatised in an episode of Maalaala Mo Kaya, directed by Cathy Garcia-Molina.

During the previous years, she had been planning to retire after the 2011 Southeast Asian Games. After the 2008 Summer Olympics, she reneged her plan and changed it to after the 2012 Summer Olympics. In addition, she said she wants to be part of the RP national diving coaching staff after her retirement. Still, she said her sister whose name is Blissa will replace her as one of the next female Filipino divers to represent the Philippines at international diving competitions. Blissa is currently under the developmental pool.

Sheila Mae Pérez

Saturday, June 16, 2018