After making history as an Olympian and NCAA standout, Filipino American gymnast Aleah Finnegan is turning a new page—this time much closer to her roots. The 21-year-old star is set to make a highly anticipated return to the Philippines, signaling the start of a new journey that merges her athletic career, cultural identity, and personal growth.
While Finnegan is still celebrating her landmark year as an Olympian, she’s not slowing down. She’ll be among the featured personalities at the 2025 National Congress in New Orleans on August 9–10, where she will meet fans and lead autograph signings at the Quatro booth. A special edition leotard, designed in collaboration with Finnegan, will also debut exclusively at the event—another marker of her growing influence in the sport.
Yet for Finnegan, this appearance is more of a sendoff than a spotlight. In a heartfelt announcement on social media, she revealed she’s leaving Baton Rouge, Louisiana—her collegiate base for the past four years—to move to the Philippines for the rest of 2025.
“All packed up from the place I’ve called home,” she wrote. “Baton Rouge will forever hold a special place in my heart… but I’m so excited to spend the remainder of the year in the Philippines.”
This bold move comes at a pivotal time in her life. Just days earlier, Finnegan marked the one-year anniversary of becoming an Olympian—a childhood dream she realized in 2024 while representing the Philippines at the Paris Games. She credited her coaches, teammates, and the Philippine gymnastics community for lifting her to that moment, calling the journey “a sacrifice worth every second.”
Finnegan’s achievements haven’t gone unnoticed. She was recently named a finalist for the prestigious 2025 Honda Sports Award—an honor reserved for the NCAA’s top female athletes. She’s the first gymnast from her program to reach this level of national recognition.
As she prepares to reintegrate into life in the Philippines, fans are speculating on what’s next—will she take on a mentoring role for the country’s young gymnasts? Train for another Olympic cycle? Or perhaps blend advocacy, cultural work, and sport into a new legacy?
Whatever her plans may be, one thing is clear: Aleah Finnegan is not just flipping into new routines—she’s leaping into purpose.
