Carlos Yulo always dreamed of becoming a champion gymnast, though the Olympics once seemed far beyond his reach. Starting his training at just 7 years old, Yulo had big dreams to conquer. Now, having achieved those dreams and more, a resurfaced childhood video shows the Philippine gymnast’s early determination to succeed.

In a video uploaded by @Rappler on YouTube, a 12-year-old Yulo could be seen toiling hard in the gym. But his initial goal wasn’t focused on conquering the Olympics. After winning his first all-around title in 2011, Yulo set his sights on winning a gold medal at the Southeast Asian Games.

Looking back at the video, it’s clear that Carlos Yulo did not have access to the best training facilities. Training inside a school, he learned to make the most of the resources available to him. In fact, Yulo initially didn’t even know about gymnastics. He and his friends spent most of their days playing on the playground. Noticing their athletic abilities, one of Yulo’s father’s friends encouraged him to give gymnastics a try.

That moment was life-changing for Yulo. He snuck into the Rizal Memorial Sports Complex in Manila and began training on the trampoline. Impressed by the young Yulo’s talent, the manager agreed to train him for free, marking the start of a remarkable journey. Fast forward to 2024, and Carlos Yulo stands at the pinnacle of gymnastics greatness. After finishing fourth in the vault at the Tokyo Olympics, he dramatically improved his performance, winning a gold medal in the event. He also secured a gold medal in the floor exercise, further establishing his dominance in the sport.

Becoming the first Philippine gymnast to win a double gold medal, Yulo has been showered with love and gifts from his homeland, including a luxury condo and a lifetime of free lunch buffets. However, despite all his achievements, he still grapples with a lingering sense of discomfort regarding his relationship with his mother.

Carlos Yulo opens up on sour ratio with his mother

Carlos Yulo dropped a bomb soon after winning the double Olympic gold. The Philippine gymnast stated that he has been experiencing significant tension with his mother, involving his partner. Yulo stated that his mother, Angelica Yulo was not very fond of San Jose and wanted Yulo to maintain distance. She got particularly enraged when Yulo decided to leave Japan to settle with San Jose in Manila. The Olympian also stated that his mother did not approve of San Jose’s dressing style as it often did not match with that of Philippine culture. 

As if that were not enough, the next set of allegations took an even darker turn. According to Yulo, his mother kept draining money from his bank account without his consent. When asked about this, Angelica admitted to taking out money from her son’s account. However, she pointed out that she had kept the funds aside for emergencies in case Yulo exhausted his current finances. Such a rift between a son and mother is quite unusual. However, having faced so much in life, it is only fitting that Carlos Yulo has finally tasted success, etching his name in Olympic folklore forever.