Amidst Carlos Yulo’s Olympic success, one person has emerged as a prominent figure in the two-time gold medalist’s life. Influencer and model Chloe San Jose was there with the gymnast in Paris and has regularly appeared in interviews with him after Yulo was shot to stardom in the Philippines. However, the couple wouldn’t have crossed paths if it wasn’t for a single text by San Jose.

In her conversation with Toni Gonzalez, the 22-year-old revealed everything about their first interaction on social media. The then-18-year-old influencer had moved out of home and was living by herself at the height of the pandemic. While this made things even more challenging, she noticed that Yulo’s activity on social media had dwindled. While she admitted not having a crush on him, San Jose checked up on the gymnast.

“Hi, I’m a fan po. Just came across your account and hindi na po kayo as active as before. I hope you’re doing well po. Stay safe. God bless,” San Jose texted Carlos Yulo, not expecting a reply. However, she wasn’t really a fan of the gymnast when she texted Yulo on X. “I only said that as a way to connect to him. For him to notice me. ‘Oh! she’s a fan…’ something like that.” Chloe San Jose confessed to Toni Gonzaga.

However, Gonzaga wasn’t the only one who was curious to know if the influencer had a crush on Yulo when she made the first move. The 24-year-old double Olympic gold medalist also asked this question one point. “I told him, ‘Love, it’s not true that I was a fan when I messaged you.’” the Olympic champion’s girlfriend added. So San Jose was even more surprised when Yulo texted back.

In fact, Carlos Yulo did more than text her; the nine-time SEA Games gold medalist even followed her on X. “Awwe! I didn’t expect you’d reply and even follow me back. Thank you so much. Have a great week ahead,” the then-18-year-old replied. With the COVID-19 pandemic lockdown in effect, the duo soon found themselves conversing with one another often.

The influencer’s first interaction with her future boyfriend happened shortly after the 18-year-old had to move out of a troubled home. “I packed my things into my backpack,” and left, revealed Chloe San Jose. Having to make it on her own during the pandemic made things even more challenging. And while the budding relationship with Yulo made things easier, the gymnast faced his own challenges.

Uprooting his life at 16 wasn’t easy for Carlos Yulo

The Manila-born gymnast showed immense promise when he was seven and by 16, the gymnast had reached the pinnacle of what was possible in the Philippines. So Gymnastics Association of Philippines president, Cynthia Carrion, knew it was time for Yulo to get an upgrade. Carrion, aka Yulo’s second mother, knew he would need to train among the best to unlock his true potential.

So Yulo packed his bags and left Japan, one of the two nations that dominated men’s gymnastics in the Olympics. However, training in Japan turned out to be far tougher than Carlos Yulo expected. “I went to Japan for training. That’s when another level of difficulty started in my life,” the 24-year-old gold medalist told Toni Gonzaga.

“I didn’t know English, didn’t know their language. I didn’t know their culture,” added the gymnast. While he was far more comfortable when he met Chloe in 2020, the training always kept him on his toes. However, after winning two Olympic gold medals and making history for his nation, Yulo feels it was all worth it. So while the couple fought their own battles when they first met, in these four years they’ve supported one another relentlessly, and all of it happened thanks to a single DM.