Hidilyn Diaz is guest speaker at the recognition rites of the UP Diliman College of Human Kinetics on Saturday, July 5, 2025. (Screengrab from UP College of Human Kinetics Student Council/Facebook)MANILA — The first Filipino Olympic gold medalist Hidilyn Diaz said on Saturday that she is looking forward to teaching at the University of the Philippines.
“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,” she said.
(I am happy to share with you that I am excited at the possibility I might share my experience and what I have learned and teach at your university. I hope it pushes through)
Diaz was guest speaker at the recognition rites of the College of Human Kinetics in UP Diliman, where she also looked back at her historic win at the 2020 Tokyo Summer Olympics.
“It’s not just me lifting the weights. We lifted history. We lifted every Filipino’s dream,” she recalled.
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Achieving it, the Filipino Olympian said, was through learning about the importance of teamwork and service, with Diaz encouraging the fresh graduates to join grassroots trainings and other community-serving initiatives.
“Bukod sa pansariling paglago, lagi rin nating isipin kung paano tayo makapagbigay ng kontribusyon sa bayan,” she told the graduates.
(Beyond personal development, we must also always keep in mind how we can contribute to the nation)
“Tandaan ninyo: ang tunay na lakas ay hindi lamang sa pagbuhat ng mabibigat na bagay, kung hindi sa pagtutulungan at paglilingkod sa kapwa.”
(Remember that true strength is not just in lifting heavy objects but in helping and serving others)
On the anniversary of her Olympic win in 2024, she inaugurated the Hidilyn Diaz Weightlifting Academy, which aims to provide training programs to future weightlifters and athletes who would want to represent the country in various competitions.
On anniversary of Olympic gold, Hidilyn Diaz inaugurates weightlifting academy
Weightlifting and weight training courses are available as optional Physical Education subjects and as required courses for Sports Science majors, based on the UP Diliman’s Computerized Registration System (CRS) and the Office of the University Registrar.