If you asked Delina Rodrigues about life over the past year and a half, the story she told could make anyone a believer in fate.

In March, Rodrigues, a powerlifter from Palmerton, won two gold medals at the Special Olympics World Games — a feat that made her eligible for a trip to the White House.

Being just one of the few hundred athletes who represented America in the games, Rodrigues’ chances of trekking to Washington were slim; whether or not she in particular would be invited to D.C. would come down to chance.

But chance has never been an obstacle for Rodrigues.

Rodrigues’ journey really started in November 2017, after she won a single gold medal for her deadlift at the state competition at Villanova University. The U.S. powerlifting team had space for one female athlete for worlds, who would be chosen at random from the pool of gold medalists.

Rodrigues had one entry in the drawing.

“She wasn’t going,” her father, Dave, recalled thinking at that moment.

But on the drive home from Villanova, Rodrigues heard her name over a Facebook Live stream of the drawing. She was going to Abu Dhabi.

Rodrigues spent the next year training. Once it came time to compete in Abu Dhabi, Rodrigues remembers, the nerves started setting in. She was in the 159-pound weight class, amid competitors from all around the world.

“The competition was very, very hard,” Rodrigues said.

The first event was the squat, in which Rodrigues placed fourth. Then came the bench press, where she was ranked third.

Rodrigues’ mother, Christine, knew her daughter didn’t like to lose. She could see the pressure was starting to get to her.

“I cried,” Rodrigues said. “It was terrible, because I was struggling when I was lifting so much weight.”

Christine asked to see Rodrigues. Her son Darris, Rodrigues’ brother, came along.

Rodrigues doesn’t remember what Darris said to her in that moment, but whatever it was, it was enough.

“I stopped crying and worked my butt off,” she said.

Rodrigues coaches decided to go for the gold, and a personal best, in the last event: the deadlift. She lifted 220 and a half pounds.

That extra half pound scored Rodrigues a gold medal in the deadlift. She also won gold overall in her weight class, with a combined lifted weight of 417 pounds.

When Rodrigues came home to Palmerton, the town celebrated her win — and that of National Special Olympics unified bowling champion Matt Anthony — with a parade and ceremony in the park.

Earlier this month, Rodrigues’ family got notice that a handful of athletes from the U.S. Special Olympics Team were being invited to meet President Donald Trump in D.C. The decision about who would go to the White House would be made by another random drawing.

And for a second time, Rodrigues’ name was picked.

“It was really awesome,” she said.

Rodrigues was also chosen to present Trump with a gift — a signed U.S. Special Olympics jersey. She knew what she would say to Trump when she first met him: “I’m Delina. I’m a powerlifter. I won gold overall.”

After winning in Abu Dhabi and making the trip to D.C., Rodrigues isn’t quite sure what her next step will be.

She might just bask in her accomplishments for a little while longer.

“It feels really good, representing Palmerton,” Rodrigues said. “I’m proud.”