Despite being regarded as the best Filipino to compete in the Summer Olympics with two gold medals, gymnast Carlos Yulo remains humble, believing that he remains far from perfect.

Yulo, who celebrated his 26th birthday on the night he received his second straight Athlete of the Year award from the Philippine Sportswriters Association on Monday, said he is still seeking guidance from older, more seasoned athletes like Hidilyn Diaz, Ernest John Obiena and Nesthy Petecio on how to navigate his athletic career.

After all, he still has a lot of challenges to face with no less than Gymnastics Association of the Philippines president Cynthia Carrion grooming him for another golden run in the Los Angeles Olympics in 2028.

“I often ask Kuya EJ, Ate Hidilyn, and Ate Nesthy for advice. I learn so much from them,” Yulo told reporters at the sidelines of the awards rites at the Diamond Hotel Manila. He shares the Athlete of the Year honor with tennis sensation Alex Eala, who is having a breakthrough campaign in the Women’s Tennis Association circuit.

“All of our Olympians have different stories. They are really inspiring and they motivate me to train harder and work harder in life.”

Yulo is coming off a stellar campaign in 2025 where he won a gold medal in floor exercise in the Asian Artistic Gymnastics Championships in Jecheon, South Korea and a gold medal in vault in the 53rd FIG Artistic Gymnastics World Championships in Jakarta.

He said he is honored to share the spot with Eala and hopes to meet her someday to swap stories about their respective athletic journeys.

“I met her before the Olympics. After that, of course, she has been super busy. I’m super excited to meet her soon and get advice from her,” said Yulo, who will compete in two major events this year in the 20th Asian Games in Nagoya, Japan from 19 September to 4 October and the 54th FIG Artistic Gymnastics World Championships in Rotterdam, Netherlands from 17 to 25 October.