Olympic gymnast Aleah Finnegan says she still has not decided whether her gymnastics career is truly over after a whirlwind year filled with surgeries, travel, recovery, and major life changes.

The 23-year-old Filipina gymnast recently opened up about balancing recovery with a new phase of life away from full-time competition.

After undergoing three surgeries in three months earlier this year, Finnegan admitted that her future in gymnastics remains uncertain.

“Never say never,” Finnegan told Olympics.com while discussing a possible return to competition.

The former LSU star revealed that she underwent operations on both ankles and her wrist between February and April. The procedures forced her into the longest break from gymnastics of her career.

“This is the longest I have been out of the gym,” Finnegan said.

The gymnast recently posted a video of herself performing a handstand for the first time in months, marking a small but emotional step in her recovery journey. According to Finnegan, the moment reminded her how much she still misses the sport.

At the same time, she admitted that life outside gymnastics has opened new opportunities and experiences.

Since graduating from Louisiana State University, Finnegan has traveled extensively and launched her own youth gymnastics competition series. She has also spent several months living in Manila, reconnecting with her Filipino roots.

“Gosh, this whole year has been kind of a whirlwind,” she said.

Finnegan competed at the World Championships in Jakarta after her NCAA career ended and also won medals at the Southeast Asian Games.

Away from competition, she began exploring a different lifestyle that included dance classes, rock climbing, and community projects.

The Olympian is scheduled to return to Manila and stay there through August while focusing more on business and outreach.

Despite the uncertainty around her athletic future, Finnegan said she still feels emotionally connected to gymnastics.

“Some days I wake up and I’m like, ‘Wow, I would love to do a backflip right now,’” she said.

Aleah Finnegan Hopes to Inspire the Next Generation of Filipino Gymnasts

Beyond her own career, Finnegan says one of her biggest goals has been helping grow gymnastics in the Philippines.

Alongside fellow gymnasts Emma Malabuyo and Levi Jung-Ruivivar, as well as Olympic champion Carlos Yulo, Finnegan has become part of a new generation raising the profile of Filipino gymnastics internationally.

She said that seeing younger athletes enter the national system gives her hope for the sport’s future.

Finnegan also launched a youth competition series called One World, One Love, with events already held in multiple American cities and more scheduled for next year.

For now, competition is not part of her immediate plans.

But after a year full of injuries, surgeries, and new beginnings, Finnegan is still leaving the door slightly open to gymnastics.

Read more at the Gymnastics Digest!

Written by

Chitrak Mukherjee

Edited by

Sahil Prashar