MANILA – Through a newly-released short film, Olympic gold medalist Hidilyn Diaz-Naranjo hopes to inspire the youth to not just start weightlifting, but also find purpose in their life.
Diaz-Naranjo graced the premiere of the five-minute short "Lifting Makes Me Lift Others" at TheRack.Co Buhat Buhat Basement in Mandaluyong City on Wednesday.
The film recounts the journey of the Filipina weightlifter to the historic gold at the Tokyo Olympics, not qualifying to the Paris Olympics and her mission to train the next generation of Filipino weightlifters.
The short featured the Hidilyn Diaz Weightlifting Academy in cooperation with strength and performance equipment giant Eleiko and TheRack.Co.
Diaz-Naranjo grew emotional while watching the short alongside her husband and coach Julius Naranjo, some of her students, and members of the weightlifting community.
"Nung pinanood ko ito sabi ko okay. Pero nung nandito ko sabi ko wow. Ito pala yung impact ng pagka-panalo ko sa Olympics and yung giving back, yung giving back sa community. Seeing yung kids na we're teaching now, it's not only inspiring yung mga bata, we're also inspiring sila din sa buhay na nagawa ko," she told reporters.
"And then lifting them and giving them also an opportunity, a platform to excel. Sobrang thankful ako binigyan ako ng opportunity ni God na ganito," Diaz-Naranjo said.
After all she's achieved personally and for the country, the Filipina weightlifter said the message she wants to impart is success is not measured by winning medals.
"Hindi nagtatapos ang success ng isang tao sa pagpanalo ng gold medal sa Olympics. Na-cocontinue ito by giving back to others, sharing what you learned from weightlifting like me and giving them a platform to excel," Diaz-Naranjo said.
"Yung lifting makes me lifting others. Kasi we're teaching them. We teach them how to teach others also. So we're teaching them to give back," she added.
Diaz-Naranjo hopes to use her influence and impart her knowledge to help pave a clearer path for future weightlifters.
"For me, I'm still there to give influence, to give inspiration to Filipinos, to young weightlifters. Para sa akin ang success is seeing nag-grow ang weightlifting, there would be maraming Olympic weightlifters," she explained.
"Para sa akin success is kung may pathway na talaga weightlifters. Ngayon papunta na sa Palarong Pambansa, hoping na sa UAAP and NCAA magkaroon sila ng scholarship. Sana magkaroon ng pathway na may future pala sa weightlifting. Hoping na makita ang weightlifting ay may direksyon diyan," the Filipina champion shared.
READ: More work to do for Hidilyn Diaz after success of weightlifting in Palaro
As she continues to lift others, Diaz-Naranjo recounted what lifted her when she felt like quitting in 2015, before the 2016 Rio Olympics.
"Ang bumuhat sa akin, ang mga bata. Nakita ko sila gaano kasaya, gaano kasaya na mag-weightlifting. Sabi ko, wow, hindi ako pwede mag-quit. Kasi sila yung nagbigay ng inspirasyon sa akin and humuhugot din sila ng inspirasyon sa akin," she said.
"Sabi ko, hindi pwede. Kaya kailangan kong patuloy pa rin. Kaya nung time na yun 2015, sabi ko, hindi ako mag-quit ngayon kahit may injury ako dahil sa mga bata. Pero kapag nanalo ko sa Rio Olympics, magpapatayo ako ng gym para meron silang ma pag-ttrainingan. So noong time na yun, silang yung inspiration ko." she said.
Her dream came to fruition when the HD Weightlifting Academy was inaugurated last July 26, 2024. That date is the same day Diaz-Naranjo won Olympic gold in 2021 and the same date she married Julius in 2022.
READ: Hidilyn Diaz, PSC, other gov’t agencies unite for PH weightlifting academy
"We start[ed the] HD Weightlifting Academy is to really spread awareness about weightlifting and hoping na ma-upleave namin yung dream nila. Hindi lang about magbubuhat lang sila kundi sana magkaroon sila ng pangarap. Not only Olympics, kundi magkaroon sila ng pangarap sa buhay," she said.
The couple said they try to instill in their students values that go beyond the sport.
"Our number one thing always is to not only make them great lifters but great people. That's always been our goal, especially with the kids, our pamangkins, you know, the athletes there in Jalajala," Naranjo said.
"It's always about teaching them what's right. And of course, giving them the foundation to be great athletes, to represent the country, to know that it's more than the medal, it's more than the incentives, or what they can earn, how they can help their family, but for them to grow as people, to be able to inspire others," he added.
Among their students are Diaz-Naranjo's nieces Samantha Diaz and Reynadine Jimenez, her nephew Matthew Diaz and Alexie Jane Conte. They relish the chance to share their story and to be training under an Olympic gold medalist.
"Masaya po kami nagtuturo po sa amin si tita, isang Olympic gold medalist. Nagpapasalamat po kami na nagiging okay technique namin," Jimenez shared.
"Masaya po kasi na-momotivate din namin po sila. Gusto din po namin na dumami yung mag-training ng weightlifting po at tinglain din nila si ma'am Haidie," Conte said.
2025 Asian Youth and Junior Weightlifting Championships gold medalist Albert Ian delos Santos, who is also under coach Julius, hopes the film will inspire others.
"It [the short film] will help in a way it will motivate the kids. To make them work more hard in training, trust their coaches in training. not to lose hope. Seeing the hardship of Haidie and what she went through, if she can do it we can as well," delos Santos said.
"Them spreading the sport has really helped. Seeing dati kami-kami lang. Wala masyadong new faces, new teams. But lately with coach Julius and ate Haidie's worked, they've been spreading the word. I love it the weightlifting community is spreading," he added.
READ: First Olympic gold medalist Hidilyn Diaz hints she might teach at UP
HD LIFT OFF WEIGHTLIFTING COMPETITION
Olympic gold medalist Hidilyn Diaz-Naranjo with young weightlifters at the premiere of the short film "Lifting Makes Me Lift Others" at TheRack.Co Buhat Buhat Basement in Mandaluyong City, September 17, 2025. Paige Javier, ABS-CBN News
Aside from the short film's premiere, the event served as the official announcement of the 'HD Lift Off' weightlifting competition.
HD Weightlifting Academy Education Director Coach Flip Corpus said they aim to hold a world-class tournament in January 2026.
"We are planning to have a full-on Eleiko competition, hold it like world standards and make it as good a competition. We are already expecting athletes from around Southeast Asia to compete," he said.
"The HD Lift Off is meant to boost weightlifting in the Philippines talaga. The plan is we will have an Under-12 category. So we will have youth, 13 to 17 years old, we will have open and we will have masters category from 35 to 66. All males and females," he said.
Corpus said national athletes will not be allowed to compete in the tournament in order to get more of the public to join.
"The competition is designed to make sure we boost weightlifting in the Philippines. To show that it is inclusive. There will also be a best team category and there will be a best school category, secondary or high school and collegiate," he explained.
Corpus encouraged interested athletes to start training or look for a coach to prepare.
More details on the venue and mechanics will be announced at a later date.