The Paris Olympics this year surely got us reeling with excitement and Pinoy pride. Among the 22 Filipinos who showcased their skills and their passion for their respective sports, three Pinays fared in the field of gymnastics.
Although their Olympic run was cut short, we all know they've made an impact on the country—especially since the Paris 2024 Olympics is the first Olympics that the Philippine gymnastics team has participated in within six decades.
So of course, we got so curious about these wonderful ladies and have looked into them. One of them is Filipino-American Emma Malabuyo. NGL, she definitely won us over with her bright smile during her astounding Olympic performance! Now, it's time to get to know her outside the gymnast floor.
Who Is Emma Malabuyo?
1. Emma was born in 2002.
Born to her parents Joel and Ana Malabuyo on November 5, 2002, Emma is a Scorpio. She joined the Olympics at the age of 21! Known as Emma or Emms (her preferred nickname), she was born and raised in California, USA.
According to Emma, she showed great abilities to swing across monkey bars at just two years old. With that, her parents decided to sign her up at Little Gym, a recreational activity center for young kids. Little did they know that her membership in the said gym was the start of Emma's flourishing gymnastics career.
2. Emma officially pursued gymnastics at the age of 7.
Five years after playing around Little Gym, Emma decided to pursue gymnastics as more than just a hobby at the young age of seven. Her first major competition was the American Classic in Texas held in 2015. Emma was only 16 years old at the time.
3. She is a Communications student at UCLA.
Emma got more opportunities to hone her skills at the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA). The university is one of the prestigious academies around the world that puts prime in its athletics division—in Emma's case, gymnastics. Aside from her journey as a gymnast, Emma is currently a communications junior.
In an interview with ABS-CBN News, Emma underscored how her time at UCLA contributed to her passion and her drive to be a gymnast. "College gymnastics helps so much, especially with handling the pressure of gymnastics. This is such a high-pressure event. I practice this so many times so I think I have the mental still down. College gymnastics is really excellent about executing your routines to be the best you can be."
4. Emma competed in 19 competitions before she represented the Philippines.
Within almost 15 years of being an active athlete in her field, Emma was able to participate and shine through 19 competitions both locally in the USA and also internationally.
According to the official USA Gymnastics website, Emma's last bout before the Paris 2024 Olympics was the 2023 NCAA Women's Gymnastics Championships, where she placed fourth.
5. Emma is currently training under a former Olympian.
Yup, you read that right, Emma's head coach is Kim Zmeskal Burdette. Kim participated in the 1992 Barcelona Olympics. She also won the USA all-around title three (!) consecutive times. She bagged her last one during the 26th Artistic Gymnastics World Championships in 1991.
Of course, Kim was spotted with Emma's family in Paris. She even posted on Instagram with the captioned, "Malabuyo in Paris. What an honor it is to cheer for and with this crew!"
6. She participated in the Tokyo Olympics as part of the USA Team.
Before she represented the Philippines for Paris 2024, Emma participated in the Tokyo Olympics in 2020 as an alternate within the USA Team.
In an interview with UCLA's Daily Bruin, Emma had expressed her worries after the Games. "In Tokyo, I felt like I was in jail. I'd be eating every meal by myself in my room, so that was very different. Now (Paris), I get to enjoy the fresh air. I get to talk to people," Emma stated.
7. Emma is on Instagram!
While she maintains the needed focus and undivided attention on her sport, Emma's able to keep quite a vibrant social media account. After all, she's just 21 years old and oozing with Gen Z energy! We love watching her IG reels! She knows how to have fun while doing what she's really passionate—which is, of course, gymnastics.
View this post on Instagram
