Olympic gold medalist Hidilyn Diaz-Naranjo is set to take on a new role in academia as she joins the University of the Philippines (UP) - Diliman as a lecturer.

According to UP Diliman, the first Filipino to win an Olympic gold medal recently completed the Teaching Effectiveness Course (TEC), held from January 12 to 15 at the UP Diliman School of Economics. The program served as preparation for her upcoming teaching responsibilities at the College of Human Kinetics (CHK).

Entering the academic world for the first time, the athlete shared that she feels a mix of excitement and nervousness as she gets ready to guide students both inside and outside the classroom.

Diaz-Naranjo hopes to use her platform to raise awareness about weightlifting and inspire students by integrating the sport into a more inclusive and progressive Philippine sports education system. She also expressed her interest in fostering a learning environment that values creativity and efficiency.

For the second semester of Academic Year 2025–2026, Diaz-Naranjo will be handling two sections of PE 2 focused on weightlifting.