I almost quit because I thought I can’t handle the training in Japan.

Carlos Yulo was flashing a wide smile as the nation celebrates his golden triumph in the 49th FIG Artistic Gymnastics World Championships over the weekend in Stuttgart, Germany.

From sports and government officials to media, coaches and fellow athletes, everybody wanted a piece of the golden boy, the athlete who would soon join the elite circle of Manny Pacquiao, Paeng Nepomuceno, Lydia de Vega-Mercado, Hidilyn Diaz and Mansueto Velasco.

But behind that winning smile was a bleeding heart.

It was a smile of tiredness, loneliness and sorrow — burdens that are way too heavy for an 18-year-old boy to carry.

This is the price he has to pay for the country’s Olympic dream.

He barged into the scene as a poor boy from Leveriza Street in Malate, who would walk into the gymnastics facilities of Rizal Memorial Sports Complex to jump and practice routines on dusty mattresses.

“He saw gymnastics as his ticket out of poverty,” said Gymnastics Association of the Philippines president Cynthia Carrion, who was at the sidelines when Yulo became the first Filipino gymnast to win a gold medal in the world stage.

“He would go to Rizal Memorial after school every afternoon to jump on the mattresses and watch our national team in training. I think he absorbed all of that. Before we knew it, he was already winning medals left and right. I’m really so proud to be part of his journey.”

With numerous gold medals hanging on his neck, Yulo blossomed from a star athlete in the junior division to a greenhorn in the senior ranks. And upon seeing his potential, the Philippine Sports Commission sent him to Japan to undergo rigid training under noted Japanese coach Munehiro Kugimiya.

CARLOS Yulo vows to do everything just to lead his country to its first Olympic gold. JAT TENORIO

He was barely 16 years old when he picked up his passport to fly to Tokyo. There, he enrolled at the Teikyo University to take up Literature while chasing his dream of becoming the first Filipino to win an Olympic gold medal.

“I almost quit because I thought I can’t handle the training in Japan. I also missed home, but my parents told me to just hang on,” Yulo said, looking at his mother who joined him during a special press conference.

“I told him not to give up. He had already come a long way and giving up is not an option,” said his mother, Angelica.

“I know this is his lifelong dream. So as a mother, I also sacrificed our time together to see him achieve his dream.”

“In fact, whenever we message him, it would take two to three days for him to reply. That’s how tough it is.”

But Yulo has yet to achieve his mission.

He still has to carry the dream of the Filipinos, who are all itching to win a gold medal in the Olympics.

It also means that his time for his family would again be very limited.

“If this is the price we have to pay for his success, so be it,” Angelica said, knowing that his son would be leaving for Japan in a couple of days to chase his Olympic dream.

“I don’t know yet his schedule, but we will just be here supporting him every step of the way.”

Yulo, however, assured his family that all their sacrifices would be worth it.

“This is just the start,” said the 4-foot-9 gymnast.

“I know I can still improve what I showed in the world championships. All we need to do is to work hard and pray harder. We would do this for our Olympic dream.”