At 16, Adriana Diaz was the first female table tennis player from Puerto Rico to qualify for the Olympics. Now she has her sights set on more than just participating. Now 18, Diaz has risen to 33rd in the ITTF world rankings. This November she successfully defended her women's singles title at the Pan Am Games in Santiago, Chile. Her ability to compete with the world's best received a boost from an unlikely source this year. While most countries' Olympic committees fund their athletes' travel and training, Puerto Rico was unable to send Diaz to ITTF World Tour events due to its debt crisis, compounded by the devastation of Hurricane Maria. Enter Daddy Yankee. The Puerto Rican reggaetón superstar, best known for the ubiquitous hit "Despacito," paid for Adriana and her sister Melanie (ranked 136th in the world) to fly to Europe for several ITTF tournaments. "Puerto Rico doesn't have much money," Adriana related. "Daddy Yankee stepped in and helped. It was such an honor." While Puerto Rico has supported Diaz as best it can, she has returned the favor in her homeland's hour of need. Returning to the island after Hurricane Maria, she felt compelled to help however she could: "When I got home, two months later, people needed help. Clothes and supplies. I donated and asked others to do the same." While Diaz looks to build upon her success to reach new heights, she has not lost touch with the roots that support her.

More at ESPN