The historic double gold medal haul of Carlos Yulo at the Paris 2024 Olympics has Filipinos in awe of the gymnastics wonder, but the Olympic champion is quick to honor the team that has backed him. Among the key movers to his attaining the elusive gold is Cynthia Carrion, the Gymnastics Association of the Philippines (GAP) President who Carlos acknowledged throughout his career.
From the grassroots to the Paris stage, the gymnastics chief has been with the Filipino athlete every step of the way. Ahead, get to know more about the woman behind Carlos’ gold-worthy career in our fact sheet.
Who Is Cynthia Carrion? Facts About the Gymnastics Association of the Philippines President
1. Cynthia Carrion saw Carlos Yulo’s potential when he was just seven years old.
Years before Carlos Yulo held the title of gymnastics champion, the then-seven-year-old boy was an active kid who loved to tumble around. His grandfather brought him to the Rizal Memorial in Manila and was reportedly “ignored” before Cynthia took notice.
Likewise, Carlos credits Cynthia for the support she gave him, even likening her to a parent figure. “Ang daming taong tumulong sa akin. Si Ma’am Cynthia, lahat po inaaway niya para lang suportahan ako. Siya ’yung tumayong magulang ko po, naniwala po talaga sa akin,” the Olympian said after his winning bout in the 2024 Paris Games.
2. Cynthia previously paid for Carlos’ training from her own pockets.
Cynthia and Carlos’ journey together didn’t begin smoothly. The GAP president admits that it was difficult to get sponsors initially, as “no one paid attention to gymnastics.” In a 2019 interview with The Philippine Star, she detailed how she enlisted and paid for Carlos’ former Japanese coach Munehiro Kugimiya before the Philippine Sports Commission (PSC) did. Later on, Manuel V. Pangilinan’s MVP Sports Foundation became a “strong ally.”
“[Munehiro] gave Caloy the discipline and skill,” she said in the interview. “Caloy was determined to succeed to give his parents a better home and his passion for the sport was incredible. For my part, I provided the finances and international PR. Honestly and in all humility, without any one of us, there would be no gold or world recognition.”
3. Cynthia is active in the Philippines’ tourism and sports sectors.
Aside from being GAP’s president, Cynthia has worn many hats in the Philippines’ tourism, health, and sports government sectors. The Assumption College and Murdoch University graduate was a Commissioner of PSC from 2000 to 2003, the Undersecretary of the Department of Tourism from 2005 to 2009, an Executive Director of the Philippine Commission on Sports Scuba Diving, the Chairperson and CEO of the Corregidor Foundation Inc., alongside many more titles.
4. Cynthia was the personal trainer of a former Philippine president.
Her background in fitness is well known across the national government, as she also helped the country’s leaders in getting into shape. Cynthia was the personal trainer of former President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo during her term. “As I walk my mind back to the history of my fitness career, I cannot help but become overwhelmed [by] being blessed with the opportunities to work for important personalities and leaders in the country…” she said to SKAL Makati magazine in 2019. “It is such a humbling yet defining experience to stay my part in keeping the Philippine president and our leaders fit, healthy, and totally well.”
5. Cynthia received numerous awards.
In 2003, Cynthia became the first and only Filipino recipient of an International Olympic Committee (IOC) Trophy for Best in Women and Sports, representing Asia as a whole. In later years, she was lauded for her dedication to promoting the conservation of marine resources as OceanEnvironment’s “Ambassador of the Sea” in 2008, and was named Personal Fitness Trainer of the Year by IDEA, USA in 2009. In 2016, Cynthia was listed as one of the 100 Most Influential Filipina Women by the Global Filipina Women’s Network.
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