Carlos Yulo isn’t your average 24-year-old. Instead, he will go down as a history-maker for being the first Filipino male gymnast to haul golden hardware at the Olympic Games. And yet, his rift with his mother over Carlos’ finances has sent a shockwave across the world. Naturally, things haven’t been easy for the gymnast, as you’d imagine, and one of Yulo’s close colleagues affirmed it once again.

Leaving home at the mere age of 16 to pursue his Olympic dream, Carlos Yulo has had to fend for himself from an early age. While some would opine that this would harden a person to the core, the Olympian had to grab onto his knickers in order to achieve the monumental feat at the grandest sporting event in the world. And, unsurprisingly, it wasn’t an easy ride.

How Carlos Yulo had to withstand the high demands of the game

The Philippine athlete’s coach Hazel Calawod recently talked to Philstar to reveal how she aided Yulo during his Olympic preparation journey to make sure his mental health didn’t crumble during the stringent training regime. A big part of that was helping Carlos identify the areas where he needed to invest his resources, stated the Harvard-certified Human Factors Specialist. “Refocusing him in order for him to understand where he needs to put his energy in,” said Calawod in the article from November 4.

“As an athlete, you are in a very competitive environment. Basically, your lifestyle is you’re going to train in order to outperform your competitor,” she went on to elaborate on how things can take a toll on the life of an elite gymnast performing at the highest level of the sport. Hazel Calawod also noted how this can create confusion for the stars in terms of trying to fathom their own strengths. “That is a lot of pressure, a lot of pressure in terms of understanding what your weaknesses and strengths are,” she was quoted saying in the article, as she underscored how trying to outperform opponents can be a daunting task.

Yulo’s mental coach wasn’t done highlighting how troublesome elite sports can be. Instead, she claimed that the continuous effort to be better can drain the athletes. “…every day you, you have to constantly push yourself beyond your known limits,” she said. Considering how Carlos had to go through a rough training schedule before the Games, we’d imagine his family trouble only added to his mental duress.

A peaceful resolution to be chanced upon

When the Yulo family feud came to the fore, fans were stunned. The gymnast alleged that his mother, Angelica Yulo, mishandled his finances without his knowledge, while the latter claimed that she did so only to protect the wellbeing of Carlos. Angelica also made it clear that she believed that her son’s girlfriend Chloe San Jose was a bad influence in his life, and that only created more issues.

However, there has been no dearth of attempts to help the family overcome their disputes. From the Filipino business tycoon Chavit Singson promising a mindboggling amount of money for the family to bury the hatchet to Carlos’ father Mark Andrew Yulo trying his best on social media to bring peace, every avenue has been explored.

And yet, an amicable solution is still to be reached. However, the Yulo family has something to look forward to even during tense times. After Carlos’ massive Parisian feat, the Philippines is planning to step up its game for the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics. It was recently revealed that Carlos could be joined by his younger sibling Eldrew for the next quadrennial tournament in the USA four years later. How much would you like to see the Yulo brothers making the Philippines proud on the biggest stage of them all? Tell us below!