RIO DE JANEIRO, BRAZIL - AUGUST 14: Diego Hypolito (L) of Brazil is congratulated by his coach as a medal is confirmed after Kenzo Shirai of Japan competed in the Men's Floor Exercise on Day 9 of the Rio 2016 Olympic Games at the Rio Olympic Arena on August 14, 2016 in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. (Photo by Alex Livesey/Getty Images)

The champion is back! Brazilian gymnast Diego Hypólito amazed the nation during the 2016 Rio Olympic games and finally beat his greatest enemy: depression.

The 30-year-old athlete cast away his ghosts from the past Olympic games – Beijing in 2008 and London 2012 when he fell in the finals of both games – and lost medals that were considered conquered.

After his fall in London, he fell into a deep depression, lost 22 pounds, accumulated a host of health issues, and in 2013, his team ended their gymnastics project due to lack of money.

RELATEDTouched By His Story, Passenger Raises Thousands so Driver Can See His Son in Olympics

Hypólito was officially unemployed and without a place to practice, leading the sports community to believe his chances of going to the Rio games had disappeared.

“I had to move from Rio to Sao Paulo to practice in a top notch club,” says Hypólito regarding his strict routine living at his new gym. “They had no obligations, so they actually did me a favor.”

During the competition, he admitted to being scared.

MORE17-Year-Old Blind Pole Vaulter Wins Bronze at State Championship

“Frankly, the scenes of Beijing came to my mind in the middle of my presentation. But I promised myself that this time, I had to get my medal and I managed to leave those scenes in the past.”

And it worked – the world ended up watching an incredible display of athletic and personal redemption as he overcame his fears and took home the silver for the floor final.

”Guys, I’m the living proof – if you believe in yourself, you’re getting what you really want This medal speaks louder than any words,” Hypolito says in a tearful televised address to the nation after winning his medal. “Believe it’s possible to leave the hole and work hard to leave it!”

According to the World Health Organization, 350 million people around the world from all age groups suffer some type of depression, and being alone is the second largest cause of death for people between 15 to 29 years old.

Unfortunately, GNN couldn’t find an American TV broadcast of his presentation, but you can enjoy his full presentation from a Brazilian broadcast by clicking here.

Share The Inspiration With Your Friends, Click To SharePhoto by the Olympic Committee

1 COMMENT

Leave a Reply