Carlos Yulo’s journey to glory wasn’t easy.

In fact, he was in such a dark place that he nearly took his own life a few years before making history with two gold medals in the men’s artistic gymnastics competition of the Paris Olympics last month.

“To tell you honestly, I was at a point that I wanted to just simply vanish. I nearly took my own life,” Yulo told the stunned members of the Rotary Club of Makati during a simple recognition ceremony on Tuesday in which he was honored for being the first Filipino to win two Olympic gold medals.

“But I prayed until I fell asleep. After that, I felt at ease and the following day, my feeling was lighter. That’s how my faith in God started. I carried that until the Olympics and I believe that all the challenges He gave me would lead to good results.”

“I learned to be grateful and be thankful to all the things He has given me. That’s why I often cry whenever I say during interviews that I give everything to Him. Through His grace, we made it.”

Strong faith in God made Yulo the most successful Filipino athlete of this generation.

After gifting the country with two gold medals that came exactly 100 years since it first participated in the Summer Games, an avalanche of rewards came his way.

The Rotary Club of Manila, led by its president Jackie Rodriguez, awarded him with a “token amount” that came three years after it hailed him as its Athlete of the Year following his heroics in the Tokyo Olympics.

For its part, the Rotary Club of Makati, headed by its president Keith Harrison, made a monetary pledge of around P300,000 and counting while promising to support the grassroots program of the Gymnastics Association of the Philippines in the hopes of developing champions for the Los Angeles Olympics in 2028.

Cynthia Carrion thanked Harrison and all the members of the Rotary Club of Makati for not just simply rewarding Yulo, but also showing concern in the development of countless young gymnasts who are also dreaming of becoming Olympic heroes.

After all, Carrion is looking at developing athletes who can join Yulo in a powerhouse squad that aims to dominate the next edition of the Summer Games in the United States.

“We still have over a hundred of young gymnasts waiting for support,” Carrion said, expressing gratitude to Rotary Club members who promised to chip in for the development of future gymnastics champions.

“Thank you for supporting us. This is a big boost to those who also want to become the next Carlos Yulo.”

Carrion then narrated that she had some sleepless nights leading to the finals of the floor exercise and vault events as she feared that Yulo might suffer an injury that would put his quest for Olympic glory to a screeching halt.

But lawyer Howard Calleja — the master of ceremony during the special session — cracked a joke that put the packed Rigodon Ballroom of the Manila Peninsula in stitches.

“I think with our president Keith by your side, all support will be given and you will not have sleepless nights anymore,” he said, drawing laughter from the large, appreciative crowd that was composed mostly of civic leaders and business executives.