Fil-Am gymnast Aleah Finnegan celebrates one year as an Olympian
Aleah Finnegan | Photo from aleahfinn/Instagram
Filipino American gymnast Aleah Finnegan is having a full-circle moment.
A year after officially becoming an Olympian, Finnegan took to Instagram to commemorate the day that changed her life forever. It was when her childhood dream of competing at the Olympics became a reality.
“One year ago today, I became an Olympian,” she captioned a clip of her Olympic floor routine. “A goal that ignited when I was 5 years old.”
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Beyond the medals and the routines, the day held deeper meaning for Finnegan and her loved ones. She recalled the sacrifices, sleepless hours and relentless training that culminated in her representing the Philippines on the world’s grandest sporting stage.
“This day meant so much to me and my family,” she added, thanking her coaches, teammates and the Philippine national team for the support that guided her from the Southeast Asian Games to the Olympic Village.
The featured routine, she noted, was choreographed by her club coach Armine Barutyan-Fong of GAGE Center. It included music from Stromae’s “Alors on Danse,” ITZY’s “RINGO” and BINI’s “STRINGS,” which, she humorously shared, she tried mixing herself before getting professional help.
Now, with the Paris Olympics behind her, Finnegan continues to soar. She was recently named a finalist for the prestigious 2025 Honda Sports Award, a first for the gymnast. The award recognizes the nation’s top female athletes across 12 NCAA-sanctioned sports and has been a symbol of excellence in collegiate athletics for nearly five decades.
This new milestone adds to Finnegan’s growing list of accolades, including a recent NCAA bronze medal. She is also gearing up for her 2026 gymnastics tour, titled “One World One Love,” which is set to begin in Janesville, Wisconsin (Jan. 9–11), then head to Asheville, North Carolina (Jan. 16–18), before concluding in Lake Charles, Louisiana (Feb. 19–22).
As she continues to inspire on and off the mat, Finnegan reminds the world of what it means to dream big, work hard and represent your heritage with pride.
“As always, it is an honor to represent the Philippines on the world’s highest stage,” she wrote. “I am proud to be a Filipina.”
