Fil-Am gymnast in Paris Olympics rushed to ER after allergic reaction
Photo from levijungruivivar/Instagram
As Paris Olympics commenced on July 26, Filipino American gymnast Levi Jung-Ruviar’s hopes for a podium finish was interrupted by a sudden allergic reaction.
Ruviar, the youngest athlete in the Philippine team, was gearing up to compete in the Paris Olympics when she experienced severe allergic symptoms.
She told Gymcastic, a known gymnastics podcast, that she went into anaphylactic shock on Monday and had to be rushed to the emergency room at the Olympic Village.
“I actually don’t know what happened,” Ruivivar recalled. “I hadn’t eaten anything in three or four hours. My whole face swelled up, and it was terrifying.”
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Despite not having ingested any tree nuts or getting bitten by bugs, Ruiviar’s symptoms — throat tightening, labored breathing, itching and swelling — worsened, which forced her to use her Epi-pen.
The Hawaii-born athlete’s ordeal echoes a past incident where she had a similar reaction and was out of the gym for two weeks.
Despite the health scare, she was back on her feet at the Paris Olympics’ floor for podium training on Thursday, determined to compete in the qualifying rounds on Sunday.
“I’m trying to recover from it. It’s really hard because there’s not a lot I can do about it. I’m just trying to push through and do as much as I can,” she said.
In true Olympic spirit, the 18-year-old gymnastics sensation’s resilience and dedication shone through as she continued preparing to snag victory.
“I’m just trying to push through and do as much as I can,” Ruivivar said. “It does suck. Leading up, the preparation was going really well and I was feeling good. My body will just continue to recover, but it took a lot out of my system.”
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Her journey to Paris Olympics 2024
Ruivivar, part of a three-woman team representing the Philippines, originally hails from the US.
Eligible to represent the Philippines due to her paternal grandfather’s heritage, her journey to the Olympics was secured when she clinched a bronze medal in the individual all-around category on May 24 at the Women’s Artistic Gymnastics Asian Championships in Tashkent, Uzbekistan.
Expressing her gratitude for a dream come true, she took to Instagram writing, “I want to thank my family… They have sacrificed so so much for me to pursue my olympic dream…”
Her fellow Filipino gymnast Emma Malabuyo and fencer Samantha Catantan, among other Filipino athletes in the Paris Olympics, also exemplify an unwavering dedication to shine brightly in the global arena.
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