Filipino sports stars have recently found themselves in the public eye, not just for their resilience and remarkable achievements but also for the complexities of their personal relationships — especially with their mothers.

Olympic gymnastics champion Carlos Yulo, of course, will be the first name and story to come to mind after drawing headlines not only for his historic back-to-back gold medal wins in the Paris Olympics but for his very public conflict with his mother. Their strained relationship, which played out on social media amid his record-breaking triumphs in August, has since drawn the nation's interest in the role of family — particularly regarding maternal influence — in the lives of national athletes.