Samantha Bernardo | Image: Instagram/@samanthabernardo__
After Carlos Yulo’s historic double gold medal win at the 2024 Paris Olympics, beauty queen Samantha Bernardo was among the individuals who couldn’t help but reminisce about a dream from the past as she also expressed her hope for more youth to take up interest in sports.
The Miss Grand International 2020 1st Runner-Up took to Instagram on Wednesday, August 6, to share a video of her from 2019 doing a gymnastic routine as she recalled her athletic journey.
“Did you know that I used to be a gymnast?” reads the caption in the video. “Yes, for nine years. I won five gold medals and was the overall champion at the age of eight.”
“Now that I am 28 years old, I can only do these tricks. Stay happy and healthy,” added the written text in her video.
Bernardo also penned a statement in her Instagram caption, saying that it was Yulo’s historic win that made her nostalgic.
“POV: When [Carlos Yulo] won [gold medal emojis] @olympics medals and you’re being nostalgic, [cartwheeling emoji],” she wrote. “At a young age, gymnastics taught me how to be disciplined, determined, and to dream big!”
Bernardo then extended her hopes for more youth to become more sports-inclined.
“Mabuhay ang mga atletang Pilipino sa #Paris2024 [finger heart emoji]. Sana mas marami pang mga bata at kabataan ang mahilig sa sports!” added the beauty queen.
(Long live Filipino athletes in Paris 2024. I hope more children and young people will join and love sports!)
Bernardo’s sentiments came on the heels of the remarks of actress-singer Agot Isidro, who suggested decreasing the financial sponsorship for basketball and putting it instead in gymnastics, boxing, and weightlifting — sports that are currently performing well in the Olympics.
Following her first runner-up finish at Miss Grand International 2020, Bernardo joined “Pinoy Big Brother” Season 10 and placed third.
In April of this year, she exchanged “I do’s” at a beach wedding ceremony in Cebu with her non-showbiz beau, Scott Moore.
Her wedding became a mini-reunion with fellow titleholders MJ Lastimosa, Nicole Cordovez, Gazini Ganados, Sharifa Akeel, Maureen Montagne, Samantha Panlilio, and Eva Psychee Patalinjug, who were among the attendees.