Olympic gymnast Levi Jung-Ruivivar bares battle with eating disorder
Filipino American Olympic gymnast Levi Jung-Ruivivar revealed that she is healing from an eating disorder.
The athlete took to Instagram to share that she took a leave of absence from Stanford University, where she's studying, to recover.
"I struggled with an eating disorder prior to my time at WOGA (World Olympic Gymnastics Academy) and Stanford. My time at Stanford has been everything I dreamed of and more," she said.
"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."
The 18-year-old added that she had worries about sharing her struggle with the public as it was something she hadn't told her closest friends. However, she eventually shared it to be honest with people part of her journey.
"I believe by being transparent, I can minimize the shame I feel around it," the gymnast said. "I want to be a voice for anyone who may be struggling with an eating disorder."
"As an elite athlete, I felt it was vital to stop the damage [the eating disorder] was doing to my body and mind by seeking help."
The Filipino American's fellow gymnasts showered her with love and support in the comments section of her post.
"I love you, Levi," wrote USA's gold-winning gymnast Hezly Rivera.
"You're so strong. Sending you so much love," commented fellow Filipina gymnast Aleah Finnegan.
Jung-Ruivivar represented the Philippines in the 2024 Paris Olympics and finished in 40th place.
After her Olympic campaign, she entered the Philippine show business, signing with Viva Artist Agency to pursue acting and modeling.