DREAMS are what begin and conclude our daily existence. We wake up with our minds set on something we want to accomplish today or in the near future, and it sometimes stays with us until the night.
This is a glimpse into the canvas of our deepest ambitions, fears, and emotions, which we are all eager to paint one day. Providing us with a sense of direction and purpose before we begin our daily routine.
Photo Courtesy: International Gymnastics Federation | Facebook
Carlos Yulo, like all of us, has set his sights on one goal: an Olympic gold medal for the Philippines. The star gymnast had always believed that he would win a gold medal, ever since he was a 7-year-old kid.
On August 4, the great gymnast finally made history, winning his first Olympic gold medal in the floor exercise at the 2024 Paris Olympics. 24 hours later, he won his second gold medal in the vault event.
Making the Manila man a fixture in Philippine artistic gymnastics, a force to be reckoned with, and a master of his own craft. Nonetheless, fulfilling ambitions is not as simple as one might think.
A young man’s dream
The love for gymnastics branched out when his grandfather, Rodrigo Frisco, introduced it to him. After seeing a lot of potential in his grandson, he brought the then 7-year-old Yulo to the Gymnastics Association of the Philippines (GAP).
Since then, he has competed in the 2009 Palarong Pambansa in Tacloban, representing the National Capital Region (NCR) and eventually winning the gold medal with his team.
Photo Courtesy: Pinoy History | Facebook
An interview that resurfaced on the internet moments after his historic performance in Paris showed a 12-year-old Yulo who was more than ready to conquer the world of gymnastics.
“2009 po nung Palarong Tacloban, ako po ay natalo, dahil po hindi ako nag-training maigi. Bumalik po ako rito at nag-training nang nag-training, nung May 20, 2011, nanalo po ako champion,” says the young Yulo.
This demonstrated that Yulo has relied on perseverance since he was a little child dreaming. A once-prodigy has since taken the world by surprise by competing in international tournaments year after year.
Global dominance
Yulo has dominated the Southeast Asian gymnastics circuit, winning 10 gold medals at the Asian Gymnastics Championships and nine gold medals in the Southeast Asian (SEA) Games.
The 24-year-old has already won six World Championship medals, including two golds in the floor exercise and vault in 2019 and 2021, respectively. Yulo has also won five top podium finishes in the FIG Apparatus World Cup.
However, he fell short in the 2020 Tokyo Olympics, and his path from there was concentrated on his ability to recover and prove his place in the world of artistic gymnastics.
“It’s not always about winning in the competition. It’s all about standing up after that fall,” Yulo shared on a post he wrote on Instagram, back in 2022.
“To give your all till the dismount, to not give up on what you love, to search for ways to improve and to not lose to yourself in every day training. This is definitely not easy but this is my lifestyle.”
Given Yulo’s reputation as the country’s most successful gymnast, combined with his persistent personality, expectations will always follow him wherever he competes.
Pressure is privilege
Weeks before the Olympics, International Gymnast (IG) Media published an article indicating that Yulo is expected to win a gold or silver medal in various apparatuses, putting greater pressure on him to deliver.
Photo Courtesy: International Gymnastics Federation | Facebook
As expectations build and the start of the 2024 Paris Olympics approaches, the 24-year-old gymnast refuses to let this distract him from delivering his promise of a gold medal.
“The goal is to get a gold medal in the Paris Olympics,” Yulo said. “It would be good in the individual all-around but it depends. I’m going to do my best in three events, especially floor, vault and parallel bars.”
As focused as he could be, Yulo convinced everyone, even the 12-year-old version of himself, that this was the year for him and the Philippine gymnastics team in the Olympics, and that the pressure he was under would result in gold medals.
Dream achieved
Despite a rough start in the all-around event on July 27, the 24-year-old Filipino gymnast advanced to the finals in both the all-around and his favorite apparatus, the vault and floor exercise, where he won a gold medal each.
Yulo won a lot of firsts at his second shot at the Olympics. He became the first Filipino athlete to win two gold medals at the Olympics, and the first to do it in a single Olympics.
He also won the country’s first Olympic medal in artistic gymnastics and is the first male athlete from the Philippines to earn an Olympic gold medal. Indeed, some things are sweeter the second time around.
Yulo exemplifies how dreams may direct actions, motivate others, and contribute to a sense of purpose and accomplishment. However, perseverance will set you apart from the rest.
Yulo has demonstrated to every Filipino athlete that it may take years for a dream to come true, but with perseverance and love for the Philippine flag, a masterpiece can be delivered.
