Coach Hazel Calawod recalls aftermath of ‘shipping’ with Carlos Yulo

MANILA, Philippines — For those wishing that Olympic double gold medalist Carlos Yulo would date his coach, Hazel Calawod, instead of current girlfriend Chloe San Jose – that would remain as it is – a fantasy – since the Harvard-certified Human Factors Specialist stressed that her relationship with Carlos remains very professional.

“You know, it's funny because at work, if we're like, we just touch a skin that's not part of work, we're, ‘Oh! I'm sorry’… Because I’m such a professional and I'm so focused on my job that all I do is like ‘work, work, work, work’,” Calawod disclosed her reaction to the “shipping” she received with Carlos or Caloy at the height of Paris Olympics this year.

If there is one thing good that the “shipping” brought to Calawod, is that now, more people are more aware of her, the work she does, and the importance of mental health training not only among athletes like Yulo and other celebrities like Willie Revillame, who has also become among Calawod’s clients after the Olympics.

“After the Olympics, work is building up, which is great. After the Olympics, there are a lot of people that are interested in learning how to make a person optimized, so I've been building up my schedule for more work,” shared the Massachusetts Institute of Technology Data Scientist in an exclusive interview with Philstar.com prior to her recent panel discussion for Watsons Philippines’ first ever “Move with PowHER” forum.

After Caloy, she said the Philippine Football Federation’s Women’s Senior National team is now interested in working with her for their mental skills training program.

“So I’m actually going to fly to Turkiye a week from now so I can observe how they perform and then I can observe what other mental skills training they will need so that they can also outperform their competitors,” shared the sports occupational therapist who sat in the panel with Women’s Run PH Chief Executive Officer Nicole Dela Cruz, an advocate for women in sports; Watsons’ Marketing, Public Relations and Sustainability Senior Assistant Vice President Sharon Decapia; and She Talks Asia advocacy platform co-founder Lynn Pinugu. 

To celebrate women’s wellness and empowerment, the forum had segments featuring PH Care, Gynepro, Jeunesse, and partners like Modess, Charmee, Cleane and Sisters. Through engaging discussions on physical, emotional and mental wellness, career growth, leadership and advocacy, Watsons aimed to empower women to thrive in every aspect of their lives. 

The forum brought together women from diverse backgrounds — professionals, entrepreneurs, artists, community leaders, and more — to connect, share experiences and uplift one another. It encouraged women to embrace their authentic selves while celebrating their strength, grit and achievements. — Video by Deni Rose M. Afinidad-Bernardo; video editing by Martin Ramos

RELATED: 'We're good friends': Carlos Yulo's GF Chloe San Jose speaks up over sports therapist Lyn Calawod