Olympic gymnast Levi Jung-Ruivivar joins showbiz
After her Olympic campaign, Filipino American gymnast Levi Jung-Ruivivar is expanding her horizons as she officially joins showbiz.
The 18-year-old Olympian recently signed with Viva Artist Agency to pursue acting and modeling.
"Since I was a younger gymnast, I made it a point to post more consistently and put myself out there," she said during the press conference on Aug. 29.
Levi added she and the agency had discussed some of her future projects under the agency, including doing brand deals, modeling, and acting while preparing for her training to qualify for the Los Angeles Olympics in 2028.
"I’ve always had a passion for the entertainment industry. I don’t know if that’s just the way I was born or if it has to do with my parents both being actors," the 18-year-old said.
Her dad, Hollywood actor Anthony Ruivivar has become part of many American series including NCIS: Hawaii, Scream, and The Haunting of the Hill House, among others. He also lent his voice as Bruce Wayne in the animated series Beware the Batman. Her mom Yvonne Jung has also appeared in the series Third Watch and the 2012 film Junction.
Sharing more about Levi, Anthony shared his challenges as a parent to the gymnast, having to balance being encouraging and protective of her daughter.
“The toughest battle is knowing as a parent when to encourage and when to listen and step back,” he said, as she recalled the times when Levi was injured or needed surgery from her gymnastics training.
“There’s also a moment like, ‘No, you need to help her through a tough day, a dark time or motivate her to get out of bed and go to the gym because that’s what makes you happy,’” he continued, adding, “You have to be uplifting, you have to be encouraging. It is a difficult balance.”
For her part, Levi thanked her family for their “endless sacrifices” that helped her thrive in reaching her dreams.
“I mean it when I say I don’t think I could have gone through this without my family. My family has made endless sacrifices for me so I can follow my dreams. They are a huge part of that. They have given up so much—moving to a different state so I can get the proper training I needed,” Levi said. “They did it without a single complaint. Our family is extremely unique and special in that way.”
Levi is now in the United States to start college at Stanford University.
Prior to this, she was one of the Filipino Olympians who were awarded a presidential citation for their achievement at the 2024 Paris Olympics at Malacañang, along with fellow gymnasts Aleah Finnegan, Emma Malabuyo, and golfer Dottie Ardina.