Around a week ago, UCLA reached the NCAA Division 1 national gymnastics championships, and one of the reasons the team got there was Filipino-American Emma Malabuyo. With a score of 9.850 on the floor exercise, she contributed to the team. Malabuyo finished with a deft 1.5 to front lay after a well-executed double pike and a solid switch ring to switch half to wolf full. Though she has proved her worth with her performance, one question looms: Who is the pillar of strength behind her?
Emma Malabuyo’s remarkable gymnastics journey has been profoundly influenced by her parents, Joel and Ana Malabuyo. Like any other parents, both of them did their part to help Malabuyo reach where she is. Let’s meet Joel Malabuyo and Ana Malabuyo.
Who is Emma Malabuyo’s father?
Emma Malabuyo’s father is Joel Malabuyo. Joel has been a steadfast supporter throughout Emma’s gymnastics career. Emma herself credits her parents for helping her achieve her goal, as she put it, “My family is so supportive and so loving.” Her parents’ unwavering encouragement has played a significant role in her journey, from her early training days to representing the Philippines at the 2024 Paris Olympics. “They encouraged me to try for this Olympics. They know what I’m capable of, and I think that’s where my motivation comes from,” Emma once said.
Though Joel Malabuyo is not a public figure, as a father, he has always been his daughter’s support system. Emma once said, “They are getting shirts made with the Filipino flag and with my last name on the back. They’re all going to be matching when they watch me compete.” Indeed, it is always exciting for parents to have something like this when they are known as being a father.
And when Emma used to feel low and demotivated, her parents always encouraged her, as she put it, “My parents reminded me of, like, ‘You know what? Just try doing all-around for the Asian Championships. Just give it your all and just see what happens’.” She further added, “I really wanted to give up because I doubted myself… but as I started getting my skills [back] fairly quickly… I was like, ‘Wait, maybe I can just have a good showing all around.’ I didn’t think I had the potential to get an Olympic spot. I definitely was like, ‘Okay, we’ll see where this ends up.’ But I performed and just did my best and I gave it my all today.” Now, let’s talk about Emma Malabuyo’s mother.
Who is Emma Malabuyo’s mother?
Emma Malabuyo’s mother is Ana Malabuyo. After competing as an alternate for the U.S. gymnastics team in the Tokyo Olympics three years prior, Malabuyo realized her dream of qualifying for Paris 2024 with the Philippine team. She continued by discussing the influence of her family’s support, saying that her parents’ involvement in her athletic life gave her the motivation to pursue her goal.
“Sometimes, when I’m feeling a little bit unmotivated or I don’t know if I’m capable of reaching a certain goal, they’re always encouraging me, and no matter what, they are supporting me. So I think what really pushed me to make it here is both my parents. They showed up to every single international meet. So having them be there by my side, I don’t think they ever missed any competition in my whole entire life,” California-born Emma Malabuyo said.
Since Malabuyo started gymnastics at the age of five, her parents, Ana and Joel, have been there at all of her events. Her siblings, Elija and Eyva, as well as the majority of her extended family, will be attending the Olympics alongside her parents. The 2024 Asian Championships floor exercise gold medalist said, “My word is resilience.”
While talking about being a three-time WCGA Scholastic All-American, she once said, “I think it also comes down to my family. They believe in me so much; I think more than I believe in myself.” With the immense support of her parents, UCLA’s Emma Malabuyo has been rocking on the gymnastics mat. But with all her achievements and her resilience, one question fans must ask is about her parents’ nationality.
What is Emma Malabuyo’s parents’ nationality?
Pac-12 Academic Honor Roll, Emma Malabuyo was born in Mountain View, California, to parents Joel and Ana, who are of Filipino descent. Emma’s choice to compete for the Philippines in international gymnastics events demonstrates her deep ties to her Filipino heritage, even though specifics regarding their citizenship are not publicly available. As she said, “I’ve been working so hard for this dream ever since I was a little girl. I think it’s an even greater achievement because I get to compete for the Philippines and represent my culture and community.”
With the NCAA Gymnastics Championship 2025 around the corner, Emma Malabuyo is all geared up to perform for and with her team to win the championship.
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