MANILA, Philippines -- Filipina Olympian Levi Jung-Ruivivar will be sitting out the gymnastics season of the US NCAA as she aims to recover from an eating disorder, she announced Thursday.
Ruivivar, who is one of three Filipinas who competed in the Paris Olympics, said that she will “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. I struggled with an eating disorder prior to my time at WOGA and Stanford. My time at Stanford has been everything I dreamed of and more. I have been loving gymnastics and school and both have been going well,” she posted on Instagram.
“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,” she added.
The 18-year-old said that she “had lots of trepidation sharing this information with the public as it is something I haven't told many of my closest friends, however I think it is important for various reasons.”
“First, I want to be extremely honest with everyone who is a part of my journey. Second, I believe by being transparent I can minimize the shame I feel around it. Third, I want to be a voice for anyone who may be struggling with an eating disorder, you are not alone,” she said.
“For those of you who may not know a lot about eating disorders, there are many different kinds and the severity of them differs, however they truly negatively impact one's mind and body. As an elite athlete, I felt it was vital to stop the damage it was doing to my body and mind by seeking help,” she added.
She also thanked her family, friends, coaches and staff for giving their support to her.
“I look forward to getting to relish all of this and more as I overcome my eating disorder.”
Fellow Paris Olympians Aleah Finnegan, Emma Malabuyo, Lauren Hoffman and Sam Catantan also sent their love to Ruivivar as they commented on her post.
USA Gymnastics also lauded Ruivivar, saying that she is “helping more people than you know.”
Stanford Gymnastics likewise stressed its support to the Filipina: “Always a part of the SWG family. We are so proud of you!”