Gymnast Levi Jung-Ruivivar returns home after 2024 Paris Olympics run for Team Philippines
LOS ANGELES - After clearing customs at the Tom Bradley Terminal at LAX, Levi Jung-Ruivivar is finally back home from Paris after a sleepy 11.5-hour flight.
Angelino, 18, said it felt amazing to be back in Los Angeles. She's been gone a year or two training in Dallas for the 2024 Paris Olympics.
Levi has dual citizenship in the U.S. and the Philippines. After years of representing the United States in various competitions all over the world she wanted a closer connection to her grandparents’ heritage.
She competed to be on the GAP or Gymnastics Association of the Philippines team and won a spot.
"It was really nice to connect more with the Filipino community and my Filipino roots," she said.
It may be hard to believe, but Levi started in gymnastics when she was 18 months old.
"It was just mommy-and-me classes. I started at this gym in LA in West Hollywood called Jag Gym and then when I was 7," she explained. "I wanted to start training on the elite level even though I didn't know what it was because I was 7."
"I can't believe it happened," said her mom, Yvonne Jung. "It was not easy."
She and Levi's dad, actor Anthony Ruivivar, say their daughter was determined and overcame some serious obstacles. Says, Yvonne Jung,
"She had two knee surgeries, bilateral wrist surgery and bilateral foot surgery and various other fully dislocated kneecap," Yvonne said. "You know anybody at this level has all of those challenges."
And if that wasn't enough.
"She had this case of anaphylaxis - a nut allergy. She was in the ambulance on Monday and she competed on Sunday," Yvonne recalled in the days leading up to the Paris trip.
Her parents say Levi's face, lips and eyes became extremely swollen. She started having difficulty breathing.
"It takes a lot out of you this anaphylaxis," her dad said. "We weren't even sure she was going to be able to compete."
Levi says she plans to start college at Stanford University in the fall where she'll be training for the 2028 Olympics. She hopes to, again, compete for Team Philippines.
To other young girls who want to do what she's done Levi says, "I would definitely tell young girls to follow your dreams or their hearts and do that for themselves and no one else because you are capable to taking yourself as far as you want to go so never give up on the hard days."
What is considered Levi’s biggest dream? It's to stand on an Olympic podium, watch a flag being raised and proudly wear a medal – hopefully gold!
"Next time," Levi said. "2028 LA! Here! It's going to happen!"