Raised through poverty, Fabriga considers his diving career as springboard to better life.

"Napili ko maging diver dahil na rin po sa kahirapan ng buhay. Ayaw ko kasi maging pabigat noon sa family ko," Fabriga, 22, said.

Eldest of five siblings, Fabriga admits that he has now taken the role of a breadwinner.

"Dahil sa pagdi-diving ko, nakakapagpadala ako ng pera sa amin. Nakakatulong yun sa pagpapa-aral ng mga kapatid ko," said Fabriga, referring to his two sisters Charise and Hazel and brothers John and Mark.

Living near a wharf in Sasa, Davao City, Fabriga learned to dive at age 11. Together with his friends, he would play and goof around in an American ship.

"Uma-akayat kami sa tali ng mga barko para sumali sa paligsahan sa pagdi-dive. Ang mananalo kasi dun merong premyo from the Americans," Fabriga recalled.

Fabriga, who credits diving coach Nestor Anselmo for what he has become, was discovered by sports officials in 1998 and brought to Manila for formal training.

Eleven years later, Fabriga found himself wearing the country’s colors for the Summer Games set Aug. 8 to 24.

He actually qualified for the 2004 Athens Olympics but wasn’t able to compete due to technical problems which he didn’t elaborate.

Considering that this will be his first time in the quadrennial meet, the 5-foot-4 Fabriga revealed that he’s expecting a rough sailing in the competition dominated by traditional powers China and the USA.

"I’m expecting na mahihirapan ako sa Olympics (Beijing). Una dahil mabibigat ang mga makakalaban ko. Binago din kasi yung criteria sa scoring. Pero handa ako kasi para sa bansa ito," said Fabriga, who won two gold medals in the Vietnam Southeast Asian Games in 2003.

In that biennial meet, he ruled the individual 10-meter platform and synchronized 10-meter platform events. He also a gold and silver in the 2005 Manila SEAG.

His target is to secure one of 12 spots in the Olympic finals.

"Ang goal talaga namin eh makapasok muna ng top 12. Hindi muna namin iniisip yung medalya para hindi kami ma-pressure," said Fabriga, who booked a ticket to the Olympics after finishing fourth in a field of 34 starters in the FINA qualifying few months back.

Fabriga is training in China along with Shiela Mae Perez who is also in the Beijing diving competition.

Both Fabriga and Perez will join a pre-Olympic camp which will be held at the Trace Aquatics Center in Los Baños, Laguna from July 27-Aug. 4.

Swimmers from Surinam and Cayman Island, Colombia, Venezuela and Bardados will also take part in the training camp.