Carlos Yulo used to roam the streets of Malate district in Manila just like an ordinary kid looking for fun and excitement.

He started proper gymnastics training when he was seven years old after being discovered at a local park while doing numerous svelte and suave tumbling acts.

Soon after, Yulo, who bagged the gold medal in floor exercise in the Paris Olympics last Saturday, found himself undergoing training at the Gymnastics Association of the Philippine facility at the Rizal Memorial Sports Complex.

Seventeen years after that seemingly uneventful day in 2007, Yulo is about to face a life that has been totally alien to him.

While he has already earned a lot from his fruitful stints all over the world, nothing will compare to what he is bound to receive once he sets foot on local soil soon.

Apart from the P10 million cash reward that the government will give him as stated in RA 10699 (National Athletes and Coaches Benefits and Incentives Act), the 24-year-old Yulo is also going to be awarded with a P24-million condominium unit from Megaworld.

Even Philippine Olympic Committee president Abraham “Bambol” Tolentino has promised a house and lot in Tagaytay City.

The City of Manila, whose Mayor Honey Lacuna is setting the stage for a grand welcome for the kid from Malate, is giving Yulo a cash reward and other recognition for his sensational showing that gave the Philippines its second Olympic gold medal after lifter Hidilyn Diaz’s first in Tokyo 2021.

The House of Representatives has also pledged to give a P3-million cash reward.

Buffet restaurant chain Vikings has also declared that Yulo will be given the opportunity to feast on their culinary treats for the rest of his life.

Whether Yulo will receive what Diaz had received during her coronation three years ago remains to be seen.

The Zamboanga strongwoman reportedly got P60 million in total.

But Yulo’s road to Olympic glory, however, wasn’t paved.

When he was first given the chance at stardom in Tokyo, he flopped big time and failed to podium after a forgettable stint.

Last year, Yulo was forced to go separate ways with his longtime coach Munehiro Kugiyama, who is widely credited for turning him into a world champion in floor in 2019 in Stuttgart, Germany, and in vault in 2021 in Kitakyushu, Japan.

After a heartbreaking campaign in the world championships in Belgium last year, things didn’t look rosy at all for Yulo as he battled personal issues as well.

But he gathered himself and put on a mesmerizing performance by winning the golds in the all-around, floor, vault and parallel bars during the Asian championships last May in Tashkent, Uzbekistan.

That four-gold haul was a sign that he had finally recovered and was primed for redemption.

At press time, Yulo was bidding to add the vault gold medal.

A victory should make him even more legendary.

But regardless of what happens, Yulo belongs on the upper echelon of the Philippines’ greatest athletes of all time.