Hidilyn Diaz-Naranjo– the first Filipino to win an Olympic gold medal– is now a lecturer at UP Diliman (UPD), as she marked her first day of teaching today, January 21, at State U. 

The 34-year-old Zamboanga native will be instructing exactly her expertise, tasked to teach weightlifting in two Physical Education sections, according to an official announcement from the UP Diliman Information Office.

“Ma’am Hidilyn’s” classes are under UPD’s College of Human Kinetics (CHK).

HIDILYN’S TEACHING PREP

To prime herself as she wears a brand new hat, the two-time Olympic medalist attended a four-day Teaching Effectiveness Course (TEC) at the UP Diliman School of Economics, a program conducted by the UPD Office for the Advancement of Teaching whose goal is to assist faculty members in honing teaching abilities and related skills.

Diaz-Naranjo reportedly expressed “nervousness and excitement” as she embarked on the new experience as a first-time CHK lecturer.

In UPD’s official feature story on her teaching stint, Diaz-Naranjo said it was a good thing she attended TEC, “nagkaroon ako ng idea kung paano iyong magiging approach ko sa pag-handle ng class. I am also thankful for my CHK colleagues’ support, they were there to cheer and help me.”