By MARK REY MONTEJO
Aleah Finnegan has a face that could launch thousands of ships but she’s humble and grateful, especially for the opportunity to represent the country on the international stage including the Olympics.
Finnegan, who captured the hearts of many Filipino fans after her stellar debut in women’s artistic gymnastics events of the 2024 Paris Games earlier this month.
“If you’re proud of your heritage, I think it’s the best way to showcase and give back,” said the 21-year-old Finnegan after holding a gymnastics clinic along with fellow Olympian Emma Malabuyo at GAP gym inside Intramuros, Manila last weekend.
“To me, personally, this is the best way I can give back to the sacrifices that my family had given to me, and so I’m all for it,” she added.
The lovely gymnast from Missouri, USA was nothing but gratitude for the blessings showered to her from the past few months.
“I’ve been fortunate and very blessed the year that I had, like the NCAA Championships and the [Paris] Olympics and I’m just blessed for the talent and able to showcase it,” she continued.
The LSU standout didn’t mind the negativity about her brief stint at the French capital instead she remained optimistic and looked on the brighter side particularly her historic campaign with Malabuyo and Levi Jung-Ruvivar.
“How faithful I am to be here in the first place, I think competition-wise it wasn’t my best showcase, but you can’t be really disappointed, your work your whole life for a total of five minutes but unfortunately things just go away sometimes,” Finnegan added.
“I’m choosing to see that successful run that we had, I’m choosing to see how amazing it is that we had three amazing Filipina gymnasts compete in the Olympics.”
In the program, Finnegan was joined by GAP chief Cynthia Carrion and her mom, Linabelle, along with her sister, imparting her knowledge and skills to more than 80 aspiring gymnasts from across the country.
Finnegan earned her Paris berth last October, making her the first out of three to qualify and also cutting the 60-year drought of any Filipina gymnasts in the quadrennial meet or in 1964 Tokyo Games where Evelyn Magluyan and Maria Luisa Floro competed.
