MANILA, Philippines: "He's really world-class."
This is what Carlos Yulo's sports physiotherapist and strength and conditioning coach Hazel Calawod's quick response when asked about the gymanast's attitude towards training.
In an interview with The Manila Times, Calawod, a nine-year veteran in her field of work, said that what makes the Paris Olympics-bound Yulo a world-class athlete is his humility and that he listens very well to what he's been told to do.
"I would say that in my career as a sports therapist and I've dealt with several athletes, what struck me the most when I met Carlos was how humble he was and his ability to listen to other people and to integrate what other people are trying to give him," said Calawod.
"He's very open to that. Hopefully the other athletes can be inspired that if you just value what other people will give to you and integrate that to your career, you can really make a big progress if your listening skills are top-notch."
Calawod, who has trained top athletes like MMA fighter Mark Striegl as well as club teams like the defunct-Banko Perlas at the Premier Volleyball League (PVL) and [served as mind coach for] Bren ESports, also admired Yulo's discipline and resiliency.
Despite the heavy workload she's giving to the two-time world champion, Calawod shared that Yulo never complained and just continued to push himself to the limits.
"He's very disciplined. He's very focused. He doesn't give up in training. Despite struggling with the heavy load of training I've been giving him, even when's running out of air in every set, he just composes himself briefly and then he goes all-out again," said Calawod.
"He doesn't stop until he's finished with the task given to him. He does not complain which is amazing because he really just keeps pushing the boundaries of what he can do. I'm excited to see what else can be done with him."
Calawod has been training Yulo for six months now and her role is crucial in building and keeping Yulo in tip-top shape both physically and mentally as he gears up for the Paris Olympics in July.
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