The 19-year old Didal was among the 25 teenagers chosen by the respected newsmagazine who have accomplished "accolades across numerous fields, global impact through social media and overall ability to drive news."
Previous lists have included singer Lorde and Olympian Simone Biles, and this year's list features artists, singers, and activists.
A daughter of a carpenter father and a street food vendor of a mother, Didal previously did not garner support from her parents since skateboarding "was not a girly thing," Didal told TIME in an interview.
Due to the win, the Cebu native had helped turnaround the image of the sport as a nuisance to becoming a serious program in the near future -- as her hometown's local government unit pledged support of building a skating park in order to attract more enthusiasts and have a safe haven of honing their skills.
Since her win, Didal has become a household name, has dabbed with President Rodrigo Duterte, and aims for bigger things -- the 2020 Tokyo Olympics.
Prior to the quadriennial meet, Didal also turned wheels and heads at the Street League Championships in London last May, becoming the first South East Asian player to be invited in the event, and took home fourth place even without a proper training center.
"Sa streets lang, hinahabol kami ng pulis, mga security pag may nakitang nag-skate," Didal then told ABS-CBN News' Dyan Castillejo via video interview.
Now that Cebu is on its way to building a pioneering skate park, it well may just be the starting point for the Philippines' first Olympic gold.
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