Gymnast Aleah Finnegan Shares Swimsuit Photo Saying "Look Both Ways"

Gymnast Aleah Finnegan is taking some well-earned time off from her intense training regimen to enjoy the beautiful climate in Florence, Italy. Olivia Dunne's BFF shared some highlights from her trip, including snaps of herself sitting next to a sparkling blue pool, wearing a bright yellow swimsuit. Behind her was the stunning Florence cityscape, complete with dreamy spires and blue skies. "Look both ways before crossing Florence Road," she captioned the post. How does this athlete stay so strong? Here are 5 ways she stays competition-ready.

Finnegan's go-to breakfast is a bowl of oats and oat milk mixed with peanut butter, with chocolate chips, banana, salt, a drizzle of honey, and blueberries on top. "Oatmeal is a great option whether you make it simple or dress it up with fruit, seeds and nuts," says Andrea Dunn, RD, LD, CDE. "But besides just being an Instagram-worthy bowl of goodness, oatmeal offers a particularly impressive benefit. Eating just one and one-half cups of cooked oatmeal a day can lower your cholesterol by 5 to 8%."

Finnegan loves swimming as a low-impact and fun way to work out. "As cardiovascular exercises go, swimming offers a little less wear and tear on the body than other options," says exercise physiologist Christopher Travers, MS. "It's a good choice for just about anyone. The buoyancy of the water takes the weight off. It also adds resistance, but it's low impact."

Finnegan is proud of her Filipino heritage and sees herself a role model. "If they look at me and are like, 'Hey she's Filipino. I'm Filipino, too. Maybe I can do that one day," she says. "To be able to inspire people like that because of my ethnicity would be amazing. Filipino gymnasts don't get a lot of recognition, especially competing for the Philippines. I love how diverse gymnastics can be at the national level. It shows how connected we are through this one passion. I'm proud that I could represent the Philippines."

Finnegan is hoping to qualify in September for the 2024 Paris Olympics. "I think we're just seeing where this journey goes, you know," she says, adding that right now she is focusing on "Rest, lots and lots of rest. Maybe a three-week long nap, I hope. But I think just taking time to rest my body and rest my mind. Then, we'll pick it up again."

 

Finnegan has learned the power of positivity when it comes to competing. "Everyone around me who has just been so supportive and those people who aren't, as well," she says. "Those who are like, you're crazy, what are you doing? But I mean, God's given me the talent, the ability and the body to be able to continue to perform and so that's what I'm going to do… I think I'm just going to see how it goes with my body. I have some little issues that I've got to take care of, but nothing's set for the next competitions."