Filipina weightlifting icon Hidilyn Diaz has checked off another personal milestone as she finally hiked to Mount Pinatubo in Botolan, Zambales.
On her social media page, the country’s first Olympic gold medalist described the experience as a long-awaited dream fulfilled, sharing the moment with her husband, Julius Naranjo.
“It’s a dream come true to finally be here with Julius. 🌄,” the Filipina weightlifter wrote.
Hidilyn also reflected on how the trip had been years in the making. During her early days with the Philippine Air Force’s Special Operations Wing (SPOW), she planned to see Mt. Pinatubo and learn more about its devastating and historic eruption in 1991.
“I remember when I was assigned to the 710th SPOW, I would always say, 'Someday, I’ll visit Mt. Pinatubo, see its beautiful crater, and learn about the 1991 eruption,'” she added.
In the carousel of photos she posted, Hidilyn shared moments from their hike to the top of the volcano.
“Now it finally happened. ❤️ The ride and hike were fun, and Mt. Pinatubo is truly beautiful. Also used my UA HALO Runner SE, second hike with it already! 💪🥾 Grateful for this experience. 🙌,” she said.
In a now-expired Instagram story, former athlete and journalist Gretchen Ho shared a group photo of herself, Hidilyn, and Julius at Mt. Pinatubo with a caption: “Happy Women’s Month.”
Gretchen also commented on Hidilyn's post, “Yown!!! 🔥,”where she replied, “@gretchenho 🔥 exciting sa video mo with the 4x4 truck.”
Meanwhile, fellow Olympian Nesthy Petecio playfully challenged Hidilyn to try hiking the Philippines' highest mountain Mt. Apo.
“Let's go sa Mt. Apo champ 😁👊,” Nesthy said. Hidilyn replied, “Nesthy Alcayde Petecio hahaha Tara 😂.”
Hidilyn became the Philippines’ first-ever Olympic champion in 2021, setting two Olympic records in weightlifting in the women's 55 kg category at the 2020 Summer Olympics.
Earlier this month, Hidilyn began teaching at the University of the Philippines Diliman College of Human Kinetics, where she handles two PE 2 weightlifting classes for the second semester of Academic Year 2025–2026.
READ: Hidilyn Diaz starts teaching weightlifting at UP College of Human Kinetics
"I said YES to the calling to serve our nation through teaching weightlifting in UP CHK. I hope weightlifting will be understood and loved by many Filipinos," she announced.
In preparation for the role, Hidilyn completed the Teaching Effectiveness Course (TEC) in January, a training program held at the UP Diliman School of Economics. She noted that the course equipped her with valuable insights on managing and engaging her future students.