Mother-and-daughter duo Marian Rivera and Zia Dantes. Images: Instagram/@marianrivera
Marian Rivera is seemingly overwhelmed with joy as she shared that her daughter, Zia, took home six medals from a recent swimming tournament.
In an Instagram post, the Kapuso actress documented her 7-year-old daughter’s successful participation at the First Plunge Novice Swim Meet 2023, held last Saturday, July 29.
The mother of two uploaded multiple photos and videos including footage of her daughter competing, as well as clips from the awarding ceremony.
Among the six medals that the little athlete won, two were for besting all other 7-year-old girls in the 25-meter freestyle and 25-meter backstroke events. She also had a pair of runner-up finishes in the 25-meter butterfly and 50-meter freestyle events.
In her post’s caption, the “Super Ma’am” star expressed how proud she is of Zia’s “incredible” accomplishments in her young swimming journey.
“Words can’t express how proud I am of my daughter’s incredible swimming accomplishments! She just won a total of 6 medals in the competition, and I couldn’t be happier,” shared Rivera, who also relayed her gratitude to the Lord and Zia’s coaches.
“Thank you, God, for showering us with these blessings! Huge thanks to Coach Angelo and Coach Miguel for their dedication and hard work in training Zia. #BlessedBeyondMeasure,” the actress-TV host wrote.
While it isn’t clear if Zia’s father, actor Dingdong Dantes was able to watch his eldest compete, he surely acknowledged Zia’s most recent milestone in competitive swimming, as he posted a photo of her from the tournament. He captioned his post with encouraging words from Fr. Roque Angel Jamias Ferriols SJ — “Lundagin Mo Beybe.”
In an earlier post, the “Royal Blood” actor also paid tribute to Zia’s “support team,” led by his wife. He uploaded snaps showing the close bond between the mother-and-daughter duo, and wrote in his post’s caption, “Behind the success of every aspiring athlete is the magic touch of their support team. @marianrivera.”
Colleagues and friends from the entertainment industry expressed their admiration of Zia, and left compliments and congratulatory messages for the little girl in the comments section of Rivera’s post.
Among those that sent love to Zia were celebrity moms Iya Villania, Yasmien Kurdi, and Rachelle Ann Go. “First Lady” cast member Shyr Valdez called Zia a “future Olympian,” while former “Myx” VJ Karel Marquez also congratulated the “proud parents.”
Screenshots from Marian Rivera’s Instagram page
The couple, who got married in December 2014, welcomed Zia in November 2015. After almost three and a half years, they became a family of four with the arrival of son Sixto in April 2019. EDV