Her daughter, volleyball player Stephanie “Paneng” Mercado-de Koenigswarter, took to social media to share de Vega’s condition.

“My dearest mother, Lydia de Vega, is in very critical condition due to complications caused by her stage four breast cancer,” she said on Instagram.

Koenigswarter said her mother was diagnosed with breast cancer in 2018 and had been silently battling the disease for the past four years.

She said as the disease progressed, her mother’s condition had rapidly worsened despite undergoing many procedures, including brain surgery.

“I am requesting everyone to please pray for her in this desperate time of need. If anyone would like to assist financially to cover her medical expenses, any donation would be deeply and whole-heartedly appreciated,” said Koenigswarter.

De Vega is one of the most decorated athletes in her country, winning 15 gold medals across multiple international competitions including the Southeast Asian (SEA) Games, the Asian Games, and the Asian Athletics Championships.

Dubbed the fastest woman in Asia in the 1980s, de Vega retired from active competition in 1994. She then worked with the Philippine Sports Commission for a brief period.

She was working as an athletics coach in Singapore for the past 10 years.

De Vega was also one of the flag bearers when the Philippines’ hosted the 30th SEA Games in 2019.