Olympic champion Carlos Yulo’s coach explains his victory despite family struggles

In an exclusive interview with PhilstarCalawod, a Harvard-certified Human Factors Specialist, detailed the strategies she used to help Carlos stay mentally resilient through these challenges, specifically “refocusing him in order for him to understand where he needs to put his energy in.”

She also emphasized her focus on keeping Carlos in a positive mindset during the most intense phases of training.

She added that, as a high-performance athlete, Carlos constantly faces pressure to exceed his limits, noting he has to push himself every day to remain competitive.

“That is a lot of pressure, a lot of pressure in terms of understanding what your weaknesses and strengths are,” she said.

Thus, to support him, she ensures his physical and mental health are strong enough to handle any obstacles, whether they come from competitors or personal issues.

At 24, Carlos is recognized as the most decorated Filipino gymnast in history, according to Forbes.

Carlos and his mother Angelica Poquiz Yulo have been involved in a widely publicized dispute that attracted significant public attention. The conflict started when Carlos posted a TikTok video on Aug. 6, accusing his mother of mishandling his finances, misleading him about gymnastics incentives, and wrongfully accusing his girlfriend, content creator Chloe San Jose, of financial exploitation.

In response, Angelica held a press conference the following day, expressing regret and explaining her actions as stemming from concerns about her children’s financial security.

“The money was given to me,” she stated at the press conference, as reported by The New York Post. “As a mother, I was worried that my child might have financial problems in the future. So I invested it under my name.”

Despite a promise from former Filipino politician and businessman Chavit Singson of a 5 million Philippine peso (US$85,052) gift for Carlos and his family if he and his mother reconcile, the family conflict remains unresolved.