Carlos Yulo is soaking up the spotlight after a jaw-dropping performance at the Paris Olympics, where he snagged not one, but two gold medals. While it might seem like he’s some kind of overnight sensation, nothing could be further from the truth. This guy’s been grinding for years, overcoming hurdles most of us can’t even imagine.

At just 16, Carlos Yulo packed his bags and moved from the Philippines to Japan to chase his gymnastics dreams under the watchful eye of coach Munehiro Kugimiya. Thanks to a scholarship, he landed an opportunity of a lifetime—but it wasn’t all smooth sailing. He was alone, in a foreign country, without his parents or any familiar faces, except his coach and his family. Talk about a lonely road to greatness.

In an interview with Toni Gonzaga, Carlos opened up about those early struggles, saying, “I went to Japan for training. That’s when another level of difficulty started in my life. I can say that it was one of the things that made me strong.” The gymnast continued by saying that the place was far from everything he knew, and he couldn’t communicate with anyone, either.

“I didn’t know English, didn’t know their language. I didn’t know their culture.” It was an immensely tough time in Carlos Yulo’s life, as it was filled with hardships. Munehiro Kugimiya talked about that episode too during an interview after the Paris Olympics.

During that time in 2016, Kugimiya had to pay for all the expenses Carlos Yulo accrued through his own pocket as there was no one backing him. It was a challenging task, but not as challenging as motivating the gymnast. Carlos, who was heavily struggling in Japan, was practically on the brink of quitting the sport. The cultural barriers were too much for him, and he missed home.

“I remember giving Carlos a ticket [while we were] at a ramen shop, to return to the Philippines when he was 16 years old,” Kugimiya said, reminiscing on those tough times while talking to Rappler.com. “There were times when I imposed a strict training regimen on him. But Carlos has always been aiming for the gold medal at the Olympics.”

Despite all of this, Carlos Yulo persevered through and went on to achieve huge heights as visible to everyone. However, one year before his Olympic triumph, he parted ways with Munehiro Kugimiya after seven years. What was the reason behind it?

Why did Carlos Yulo part ways with his old coach one year before the Paris Olympics?

Carlos Yulo parted ways with Munehiro Kugimiya in 2023. This is because he felt that he needed a change. There also seemed some personal differences between them both. But, still, they parted on good terms with Kugimiya, praising Carlos multiple times publicly after his Paris outing. The fact is that the coach had seen him go through immensely tough times, which would make him proud of the gymnast’s success despite not being his pupil anymore.

Carlos Yulo went back to his old coach, Aldrin Castaneda, who had coached him before he made his move to Japan. While his career is now on the right track, Carlos seems to be having a rocky family life due to his strained relationship with his mother. Problems started when they disagreed about the gymnast’s girlfriend, Chloe San Jose, staying with him as his mother believed that she was a distraction. It was also the sentiment that Kugimiya shared, contributing to their eventual split. But Carlos Yulo winning the Olympic gold proved them wrong, proving that his girlfriend was not a distraction to him but a source of power.