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Aspiring gymnasts with Filipina Olympians Aleah Finnegan and Emma Malabuyo during a training camp in Intramuros, Manila, August 18, 2024. Paige Javier, ABS-CBN News

Aspiring gymnasts with Filipina Olympians Aleah Finnegan and Emma Malabuyo during a training camp in Intramuros, Manila, August 18, 2024

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GAP CAMP

Paige Javier

ABS-CBN News

<div><span class="fr-img-caption fr-fic fr-dib" style="width:960px"><span class="fr-img-wrap"><img src="https://od2-image-api.abs-cbn.com/prod/editorImage/1724000337327081824_GAP camp.jpg" style="width:960px" class="fr-fic fr-dib" alt="Aspiring gymnasts with Filipina Olympians Aleah Finnegan and Emma Malabuyo during a training camp in Intramuros, Manila, August 18, 2024. Paige Javier, ABS-CBN News"/><span class="fr-inner" style="text-align:left">Aspiring gymnasts with Filipina Olympians Aleah Finnegan and Emma Malabuyo during a training camp in Intramuros, Manila, August 18, 2024. <em>Paige Javier, ABS-CBN News</em></span></span></span></div><p>MANILA -- It&#x27;s all about giving back to the country and honoring their roots after making history on the sporting world&#x27;s biggest stage.</p><p>Linabelle and Analyn, the mothers of Filipina gymnasts Aleah Finnegan and Emma Malabuyo, are happy their daughters are back in the country after they represented the Philippines in the 2024 Paris Olympics.</p><p>Aleah and Emma led the two-day &#x27;Yes, Girl&#x27; Women&#x27;s Artistic Gymnastics training clinic at the MVPSF Gymnastics Center in Intramuros, Manila over the weekend.</p><p>While on the sidelines of the event, Linabelle and Analyn told ABS-CBN News that it warms their hearts to see the girls pay it forward by sharing their skills to young gymnasts.</p><div><a class="fr-green fr-strong" href="https://news.abs-cbn.com/sports/2024/8/18/young-gymnasts-relish-opportunity-to-train-with-pinay-olympians-1622">READ: Young gymnasts relish opportunity to train with Olympians Aleah Finnegan, Emma Malabuyo</a></div><div><a class="fr-green fr-strong" href="https://news.abs-cbn.com/sports/2024/8/17/aleah-finnegan-emma-malabuyo-lead-women-s-gymnastics-training-clinic-in-manila-1629">READ: Aleah Finnegan, Emma Malabuyo lead women’s gymnastics training clinic in Manila</a></div><p>&quot;It&#x27;s really great to see them giving back. It&#x27;s definitely a great opportunity that the Philippines gave them. They&#x27;re very grateful for the opportunity to be able to come here and give back… to be able to encourage these girls and let them know yes you can do it too,&quot; Finnegan said.</p><p>&quot;They know how it is to really have a dream and they want to show the girls it&#x27;s possible to dream big. And it&#x27;s possible to achieve your dreams with hard work and the help of many who are supporting you, especially family,&quot; she added.</p><p>Emma&#x27;s mom said the presence of her daughter and Aleah shows the budding gymnasts Filipinos can succeed on the big stage, whether homegrown or trained overseas.</p><p>&quot;I think it&#x27;s really important that they are here and that they&#x27;re inspiring and motivating the younger generation so that Filipinos can continue to be represented on the large stage like the Olympics. And I know for Emma, it&#x27;s really important for her to inspire the girls so that they see themselves in her. They could watch on TV and say hey that girl looks like me and I can do that too one day. I think that&#x27;s really the important part of this is that these younger generational Filipinas can really see themselves represented,&quot; Malabuyo shared.</p><p>Emma and Aleah&#x27;s mothers also shared how proud they are of their daughters for their performance at the Paris Olympics, despite not advancing to the medal rounds.</p><p>&quot;They did great at such a high stage of their sports. To be able to actually be there, I mean both of them said they wish they were able to do what they can do. Especially Aleah felt like she could have done better, but I think she did great. So really very proud,&quot; Finnegan said.</p><p>&quot;You know she [Emma] felt a little bit of nerves going out there. Of course being the first time actually competing at the Olympics is a little intimidating. But she had fun, she did her best and she hopes to go back there and actually show what she can really do in the future. So it&#x27;s just the start for her,&quot; Malabuyo said.</p><p>The proud mothers expressed their gratitude to the love and support their daughters continue to receive from Filipinos.</p><p>&quot;No matter what country we were in, whenever there was a Filipino there, there was a group of them. They would come and they would cheer. They accepted her and cheered her on. That was such a motivating factor for her,&quot; Malabuyo said.</p><p>&quot;As a mom definitely I&#x27;m very thankful and really honored that she took it upon herself to compete for her heritage, for her roots. It was just so wonderful to be able to represent the country. We&#x27;re excited, very thankful and hope there&#x27;s more to come for them,&quot; Finnegan shared.</p><div><a class="fr-green fr-strong" href="https://news.abs-cbn.com/sports/2024/8/17/will-aleah-finnegan-represent-ph-in-2028-olympics-1842">READ: Will Aleah Finnegan represent the Philippines in the 2028 Olympics?</a></div><div><a class="fr-green fr-strong" href="https://news.abs-cbn.com/sports/2024/8/17/emma-malabuyo-on-representing-ph-in-paris-it-was-the-best-experience-of-my-life-2014">READ: Emma Malabuyo on representing PH in Paris: ‘It was the best experience of my life’</a></div><p>The moms of the Filipina Olympians hope their daughters will get some rest, while enjoying their brief visit to the country.</p><p>Finnegan and Malabuyo said they are planning a quick trip to Palawan, before the two return to the United States for their senior year.</p><p>Aleah is a student at the Louisiana State University, while Emma attends the University of California, Los Angeles. </p><p>When asked about their daughters&#x27; plans after graduating college next year, both moms said they are focused on upcoming competitions before the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics.</p><p>&quot;Well that&#x27;s the prayer. I should know with sports, there&#x27;s a lot of, you know, God&#x27;s given opportunity. It has to do with their health, how ready they are and just the timing. So they are hoping they will [qualify] but they want to take it one day at a time. One competition at a time. I know they&#x27;re definitely looking for SEA Games,&quot; Finnegan said.</p><p>&quot;I think we will take it year by year at this point. It&#x27;s still four years out. But I think she&#x27;s definitely motivated coming off of this Olympics. Definitely motivated to look forward to LA 2028, especially since it&#x27;s in LA where she goes to school. So it would be a full circle moment for her,&quot; Malabuyo shared.</p><p>The Gymnastics Association of the Philippines earlier said it is developing a men&#x27;s team and women&#x27;s team to send to the next Summer Games. </p><div><strong>RELATED VIDEO:</strong></div><div><span class="fr-video fr-deletable fr-fvc fr-dvb fr-draggable" contenteditable="false" draggable="true"><iframe width="640" height="360" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/NpKegx3gpZ4?&amp;wmode=opaque&amp;rel=0" frameBorder="0" allowfullscreen="" class="fr-draggable"></iframe></span><br/></div><div><br/></div>

<p>It's all about giving back to the country and honoring their roots after making history on the sporting world's biggest stage.</p>

It's all about giving back to the country and honoring their roots after making history on the sporting world's biggest stage.

Moms of Pinay gymnasts thrilled as Olympians mentor young athletes

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Moms of Pinay gymnasts thrilled as Olympians mentor young athletes

Paige Javier,

ABS-CBN News

Published Aug 19, 2024 10:00 AM PHT

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gymnastics

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Emma Malabuyo

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