To those around Aleah Finnegan, it’s rare not to see a smile on her face.

“She’s just one of my all-time favorite athletes that I’ve ever raised,” said Al Fong, one of Finnegan’s former club gymnastics coaches at Great American Gymnastics Express Gymnastics. “She’s a joy to be around, a joy to coach.”

For Finnegan, it’s hard not to wear a smile during competitions. Her gymnastics career brings joy to both her and her family, especially at LSU.

The Finnegan name is familiar in Baton Rouge. Aleah’s older sister, Sarah, was arguably one of the best gymnasts to come through the LSU gymnastics program during her career from 2016-19.

Sarah finished with 23 All-American honors for her career, the second most in school history, and was the fourth gymnast to win multiple national championships with the program and the only two-time NCAA bars champion ever at LSU.

It was time for Aleah to compete at the collegiate level three years later. Despite the new head coach, Jay Clark, taking the job for the Tigers, where else could she go other than LSU?

“Aleah wanted to follow her big sister,” Fong said. “From there, she took off and went to even greater heights than Sarah did.”

Those great heights came in the form of a national championship, where Finnegan secured the title with a 9.950 beam routine.

She stuck the landing with a smile—and tears of joy and relief.

Several accolades came Finnegan’s way in LSU’s title season. But as many of her teammates also do, she refused to give herself credit. Instead, she accredits her coaches and teammates around her for success.

“You’re doing it for the 21 girls that are screaming around you,” Finnegan said.

Just when Finnegan was presented with a life-changing moment, another opportunity was set to arrive within three months.

At the 2023 World Championships in Antwerp, Belgium, Finnegan qualified for the 2024 Summer Olympics as an individual. However, despite being born in St. Louis, Missouri, Finnegan didn’t plan on representing the United States in Paris.

Instead, she represented the Philippines, which the International Gymnastics Federation approved in May 2022. Her sister, Hannah, also represented the Philippines at the 2011 Southeast Asian Games.

Finnegan had only her family on her mind while on the biggest of stages in gymnastics.

“It’s such a special opportunity to be able to represent my mom and her family and our heritage,” Finnegan said.

Finnegan’s mother, Linabelle, was born in the Philippines. At 18, she moved to the United States as a college student.

With the sacrifice Finnegan knew her mother made at a young age, she was proud to represent her mother’s home country on the brightest stage.

“Just going into a completely different country at 18, younger than I am now, it’s kind of hard for me to wrap my head around,” Finnegan said. “So to be able to give back to her, give back to my family and get back to my roots, it’s really special.”

Finnegan was one of three Filipina-Americans to compete at the 2024 Olympics. In the competition, she finished 47th in the all-around and 17th on vault, the highest vault place for a Filipina gymnast at the Olympic games.

While Finnegan didn’t place as high as she had hoped, representing her family, friends, teammates, coaches, and school was enough for her.

For those she represents, it was enough for them, too.

“One of my best friends representing the Philippines, her country, her mom’s home… it was just so cool,” Haleigh Bryant said in an interview with ESPN. “It’s something she’s dreamed about since she was a little girl.”

Now, Finnegan and her LSU team have a new mountain to climb. So far, this 2025 season, she’s helped them get pretty far.

She started the season with a bang, scoring 9.90 or higher in each event during the team’s opening meet against Iowa State.

“That may be the best four for four I’ve seen her put together,” Clark said. “Everything was clean; everything was good.”

Finnegan currently leads the team with the highest floor score of the season with a 9.975, the second-highest vault score on the team with a 9.950 and the fourth-highest beam score on the team, with a 9.925.

But just as it always has, a new opportunity is in front of Finnegan and her team: the chance to dethrone No. 1 Oklahoma in front of the Tiger faithful at the PMAC.

Just as she has in the past, Finnegan hopes to have a hand in doing that, all while wearing a smile.

“Best athlete in the universe,” said Armine Barutyan, another of Finnegan’s club gymnastics coaches at GAGE Gymnastics.