Team Philippines gymnast Levi Jung-Ruivivar during training ahead of the Paris Olympics 2024 gymnastics competition. –Levi Jung-Ruivivar Instagram
MANILA, Philippines—Team Philippines gymnast Levi Jung-Ruivivar had an unforgettable experience even before the Paris Olympics 2024 officially opened.
Jung-Ruivivar, the youngest athlete in the Team Philippines delegation this Summer Games, shared that she had an anaphylactic reaction that needed medical attention in her first week inside the Olympic Village.
The 18-year-old Filipino-American bet uploaded a video on Instagram journaling the harrowing experience last Monday.
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“I guess you could say I had an Olympics experience like no other,” said Jung-Ruivivar in her video. “It definitely was a stressful night and something I’ll remember for the rest of my life.”
On Monday, Jung-Ruivivar was walking around Olympic Village when she suddenly had an anaphylactic reaction that “escalated rapidly.”
She said that she experienced difficulty breathing, throat constriction, itching in the chest, and severe swelling, prompting her to self-administer an EpiPen as she was looking for medical attention.
The California native said was “unaware” of what caused the reaction because she didn’t suffer any bug bites nor did she ingest tree nuts, which she said was allergic to.
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Fortunately, fellow Team Philippines gymnast Aleah Finnegan was present to help her get medical attention.
“Luckily, my teammate Aleah was so incredibly helpful and I had so many people supporting me and I got the medical attention I needed at this moment.”
Jung-Ruivivar said she’s feeling “fatigued” from the incident, but vowed to still perform at the Paris Olympics gymnastics competition.
“[I] just want to let everyone know that I am 100% safe and healthy. My muscles are fatigued and it definitely took a toll on my body, but I am doing everything I can to recover and perform at my best possible level. I am slowly progressing back into routines; I will be competing at this Olympic Games and I am beyond grateful to everyone that helped me through this incident,” Jung-Ruivivar.
On Friday (Manila time), Jung-Ruivivar posted a few snapshots of her already practicing on a podium with fellow Team Philippine gymnasts Finnegan and Emma Malabuyo.
“My body’s still recovering but that’s not going to stop me from competing in these Olympics.
The women bets take the mat on Sunday for the women’s qualifications.