LIFE was hard for John Ceniza growing up in Pasil, Cebu.

Ceniza was raised by his grandmother, who could barely support them. That's why he made it a point to earn at a young age, serving as an errand boy in the neighborhood to earn a few bucks to get by.

"I was raised by my lola; life was really hard. I ate rice partnered with just soy sauce and fish sauce. Sometimes I'd help others carrying wood, or I'd serve as errand boy in our neighborhood so that I could earn money," said Ceniza in an interview with The Manila Times.

At 15, Ceniza moved to Cebu City proper with the hopes that his life would change for the better. His mother and father lived there, but he said this barely moved the needle of his fortune.

Fortunately, Ceniza, influenced by his brother and brother-in-law, developed a liking for weightlifting. Down the line, the sport changed his life for the better.

At 5'5, he competed in regional events, Batang Pinoy and even the Philippine National Games (PNG) in 2014. These stints eventually led him to the national team.

"I moved to Cebu City because I thought my life was going to improve, but it just got worse. In 2013, I asked my sibling-in-law to teach me weightlifting, and then months after, I got to play in the regionals and then a few more months, I was able to compete in Batang Pinoy and then a year after, I made it to the national team," said Ceniza, a student-athlete at the University of Cebu.

"I developed my liking for it (weightlifting) because of my brother, who is also a weightlifter. I liked using his equipment, those that he used for his training in the regionals and Batang Pinoy competitions."

Now, Ceniza, 26, has qualified for the Paris Olympics — his biggest accomplishment yet as an athlete — as he finished fifth in the Olympic Qualification Ranking (OQR) points in the men's 61 kg with his best total lift of 300 kg.

A podium finish is a likelihood for Ceniza as the top three in his division — China's Li Fabin, USA's Hampton Morris and Italy's Sergio Massidda had best lifts of 314 kg, 303 kg and 302 kg, respectively. If he can hoist 5 more kilos than his last best lift, that could be enough for a silver or a bronze medal finish.

"I just hope that my injury (left shoulder) gets healed, and then we can get quality vitamins now that the Games are still quite far away. It's good to train in Taipei and then Metz because you have a fresh environment."

Ceniza and fellow Filipino Paris-bound weightlifters Vanessa Sarno (women's 71 kg) and Elreen Ando (women's 59 kg) will continue their training in Taipei and then to Metz, France.