By Randy M. Caluag
Filipino-American Olympic gymnast Levi Jung-Ruivivar has announced a temporary leave of absence from both school and gymnastics training to focus on recovering from an eating disorder.
The 18-year-old athlete, who represented the Philippines in the 2024 Paris Olympics, took to social media to share her deeply personal struggle and her decision to step back.
Jung-Ruivivar also revealed that she will take a leave from her studies at Stanford University for the winter quarter to prioritize her health.
“Hi everyone, I wanted to come on here today to share some deeply personal information,” Jung-Ruivivar wrote in her post. “I have decided to redshirt this season and take a brief leave of absence from Stanford (just the winter quarter) to heal from an eating disorder I have been struggling with. I will return to school and training before the spring quarter starts.”
She explained that opening up about her condition was important for her healing journey and to be transparent with those who have supported her.
“I feel the need to be honest with everyone who is part of my journey. Second, I believe by being transparent, I can minimize the shame I feel around it.”
Jung-Ruivivar expressed how the disorder has impacted her life, even as she pursued her passion for gymnastics and her academic goals.
“I have been loving gymnastics and school, and both have been going well. However, I felt the disorder was infringing on my ability to fully enjoy these aspects of my life; it was pulling an abundant amount of my mental and physical energy away from the things I hold dear.”
Tracing her Filipino roots through her father, Anthony, who went to Hawaii as a young adult, Jung-Ruivivar initially competed as a member of the United States’ junior gymnastics team before joining the Philippine national team.
She competed under the Philippine flag at the Paris Olympics alongside fellow Filipino-Americans Aleah Finnegan and Emma Lauren Malabuyo.