AMID the high expectations and unrelenting pressure, Caloy Yulo bared some of his toughest battles weren't fought inside the arena, but rather, within himself.
"Pinakamahirap dito 'yung bumangon araw-araw at harapin 'yung sarili. 'Sarili mo ang pinaka-kalaban mo," he told Noli Eala in yesterday's episode of the talk show Power and Play.
He continued: "Hindi pare-pareho 'yung araw mo. May isang araw motivated ka, sa susunod, wala kang gana. 'Yun ang pinakamahirap."
The top-rated gymnast was the youngest competitor in both of his events at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics.
Mindful of the pressure coming into the summer games, he revealed one key aspect of his training.
"Okay na 'ko matalo sa kompetisyon, 'wag lang ako matalo sa sarili ko," the 21-year-old said. "Two months before Olympics, nagkaroon ako ng psychologist. Malaki 'yung impact nila."
How Caloy Yulo works on his mental health
Aside from getting the professional help when it comes to his mental health, he also makes sure he has the time alone to think.
"Marami din akong ways na sinusubukan. Lagi kong kinakausap sarili ko, kung ayos lang ba 'ko, kung anong nafi-feel ko today. Nagpapasalamat din ako sa maliliit na bagay, tulad ng paggising," he said.
As a pro athlete at still a very young age, Caloy has taught himself to take things lightly and acknowledge that the lows are part of the process.
''Yung mga hindi ko gusto sa sarili ko, tina-try ko na mahalin sila. Kasi ako 'to eh, ako lang din makakasama ko sa journey na 'to," he added.
Yulo carries this mindset all the way to competition day. While his competitors are performing, he tries his best not to let the pressure get to him.
"Di ako nanonood sa kanila, di ko sila pinapansin," he said. "'Yung mundo ko lang, 'pag kompetisiyon, may sarili akong mundo. Kahit anong number ko sa lineup, walang problema sa akin."
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