Filipino weightlifting icon Hidilyn Diaz eyes a teaching role at the University of the Philippines

Philippines weightlifting icon Hidilyn Diaz made history at the 2020 Tokyo Olympic Games by winning the gold medal in the snatch and clean and jerk in the 55-kg division, becoming the first athlete from the Philippines to win an Olympic gold medal.

Diaz’s achievements have made her a household name in the Philippines. Since then, she has gone on to promote the sport of weightlifting in the Southeast Asian region, even launching her own weightlifting school, the Hidilyn Diaz Weightlifting Academy in Jalajala, Rizal, alongside her husband and coach Julius Naranjo.

The 34-year-old was invited by the University of the Philippines (UP) as a guest speaker during the College of Human Kinetics Recognition Rites on Saturday, July 5, and admitted she is eager to take on a teaching role at the university.

“Masaya akong ibalita sa inyo na excited na ako sa posibilidad na magbahagi pa ako ng aking karanasan at mga natutunan at magturo dito sa inyong unibersidad. Sana matuloy ito,” Diaz said at the event.

Diaz expressed her desire to use her knowledge and experience to become a mentor in higher education, as she aims to set an example for how Filipinos can help grow the nation through grassroots training and other community-serving initiatives.

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Tokyo 2020 Olympic gold medalist Hidilyn Diaz expresses excitement as she hints at a possible teaching opportunity at the University of the Philippines College of Human Kinetics during her guest speech at their recognition rites. pic.twitter.com/QWatTfN2tm

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“Bukod sa pansariling paglago, lagi rin nating isipin kung paano tayo makapagbigay ng kontribusyon sa bayan. Tandaan ninyo: ang tunay na lakas ay hindi lamang sa pagbuhat ng mabibigat na bagay, kundi sa pagtutulungan at paglilingkod sa kapwa,” she added.

One example of her efforts to give back is the Hidilyn Diaz Weightlifting Academy, which aims to inspire and train aspiring weightlifters in Rizal.

“Nais ko lang banggitin na may naipundar ako ng maliit na training camp sa Jalajala, Rizal. Dito, nagsasanay ako ng kabataan na nais matuto ng weightlifting at magbigay rin ng karangalan sa kanilang pamilya at sa bayan,” Diaz concluded.

Notably, weightlifting and weight training courses are offered as optional Physical Education (PE) subjects and as required courses for Sports Science majors. As it stands, despite her interest, UP has not yet extended an official teaching offer to Diaz.

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