The road to gymnastics is never easy, and thus, one must always be vigilant to every demand and aspect of the sport. It’s like walking on a tightrope! Especially in terms of training, injuries, mental health, and eating behavior. Just one wrong move is enough to get them into troubled waters. From Olympian Kathy Johnson’s eating disorder to Suni Lee’s struggle with her kidney ailment, there are innumerable examples. And the worst part of all, it’s not always in the individual’s hands.

For example, the eating disorder can stem from various reasons that are not always related to poor eating habits and can be an outcome of high-pressure competitions, difficult training, and even social conditions around an athlete. And of late we have been witnessing many gymnasts coming forward with such announcements on social media. Just today, another gymnastics star from Stanford Cardinal, Levi Jung-Ruivivar, a proud US-Philipano gymnast, opened up about her condition to her fans on social media. And it was shocking!

Levi Jun-Ruivivar’s gymnastics hiatus

Levi Jung-Ruivivar shared “some deeply personal information” on her Instagram account. She wrote, “I have decided to redshirt this season and take a brief leave of absence from Stanford (just the winter quarter) to heal from an eating disorder I have been struggling with.” For an elite gymnast, an eating disorder is an alarming situation, as it has the potential to not just take a toll on her physical health but her mental health as well. Which would ultimately be visible in gymnasts’ performances sooner or later. Thus, a hiatus from gymnastics may help her to overcome the problem. Plus, she has set a time-bound return on the floor, showing her determination.

For Levi, it seems it was affecting the quality of her life as well. Speaking more about her situation, Levi shared, “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 condition is purely antagonistic to gymnastics, where gymnasts must be mentally and physically optimal. 

Promoting that mental health battle, Levi Jung-Ruivivar’s compatriot and the GOAT Simone Biles has also been upfront about her emotional well-being, which has helped many athletes to fight for their mental wellness. Filling Biles’s shoe in her own way, four-time US national team member Jung-Ruivivar wrote, “…I want to be a voice for anyone who may be struggling with an eating disorder, you are not alone. 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.” 

Ahead of Cardinals NCAA gymnastics on January 26th and their multiple meets scheduled for the 2025 season, the news of Levi taking a break would probably have some negative impact on the team’s performance. But drawing from Levi’s previous encounter with a medical emergency just before the Paris Olympics qualifying round, it seems her comeback on the gymnastics floor will bring more power than ever!

Jung-Ruivivar’s medical encounter during the Paris Olympics

With a multicultural background, Levi Jung-Ruivivar stepped onto the colossal Paris Olympics at just the age of 18. She was representing her ancestral country, the Philippines. But a deterring situation arrived! An anaphylactic reaction stung Levi at the Olympic Village. The incident occurred just a few hours before the Olympic opening ceremony. As a result, her breathing became laborious, her throat began to constrict, and itching started on her chest. Thankfully, Levi Jung returned to the Olympic mat after a successful medical treatment, proudly representing her country. 

The Philippines sent their women’s gymnastics team after 60 years on the Olympic stage. It was a great chance for her nationalistic pride. There, Levi Jung-Ruivivar, alongside Emma Malabuyo and Aleah Finnegan, made the Philipanno denizens proud. But the end result fell short for her team. Jung-Ruivivar and Malabuyo settled in 40 and 41 positions all-around. Yet this was her incredible rise after such an unprecedented encounter with the health. This sends waves of hope for her future comeback when the Stanford Cardinal can get its jewel back with more astonishing performances.