Forced to Sit Out of Competitions, Suni Lee Plagued by Kidney Issues Unveils What She “Can’t Live Without”

Sunisa Lee, who has specialized in the floor and uneven bars since the age of 7, escaped the obstacles life threw at her including her serious kidney issues. However, despite a point in life when she did not know she would ever be able to perform gymnastics, the Tokyo Olympics gold medalist proved herself inspiring everyone around her.

In a recent update by a well-known Instagram page, Suni, along with national team gymnasts can be seen getting to the gym for a practice. The update also lets the fans in on the information on what Lee considers an absolute necessity for her practice and performance.

The Gymnastics star names her pick

The USA Gymnastics Instagram page uploaded a new video asking the gymnasts a question as they enter; What’s one item in the gym bag that the gymnasts cannot live without? Sharing the video the page captioned, “what’s 1️⃣ item in your gym bag that you can’t live without!?”

Following the question, Suni Lee appears as the first one on the video accompanied by the rest of the gymnasts. The initial reaction of each falls on the same line. “I don’t know, my grips?” Suni Lee says looking behind the camera. “…my grips right? Yeah, my grips.” And it doesn’t seem to be Suni’s pick alone. A couple of other gymnasts can also be seen going for the item without much thought. While the grips might occupy the top spot, Aquaphor seems to be close behind on the list.

Grips are used to help gymnasts have a firmer grasp on the bar when swinging and performing release moves. The bars and vaults especially require the need of a firm grip. She also spoke about how it was difficult for her to get the grip due to her swollen body post her health issues: “I haven’t had a really bad day in a while,’’ Lee said. “But in the beginning it was like I was waking up swollen. My fingers were so swollen they wouldn’t fit into my grips and I couldn’t hold on to the bar…”

While the video showcases the gymnasts walking in for practice, it also instills a bittersweet emotion. Watching Suni in practice, one can not help but be reminded of the recent news announcement.

Sunisa Lee fights her battles

Earlier this year, Suni was announced to be suffering from kidney-related issues. The issue also became a cause for her dropping out of college season in March. And trailing behind the gymnast, the matter has now obliged Suni to sit out the U.S. World Championships selection camp in Katy, Texas. “I have been in and out of the gym just because there’s just so many doctor’s appointments…” Lee said talking to Olympics.com. “…It’s really difficult to kind of work through, but on the days that I can do stuff and I am feeling good, I try and take advantage of that and just get everything done.”

Amid the learning of handling her health concerns, Lee largely spoke about the things that have changed her since she embraced the journey to leave her trouble behind.

“With my health, it comes with a lot of different changes since I’m still navigating my way through it all,” she wrote. She also revealed the reason behind her decision to end her 2023 season early was based on “knowing my body right now and staying true to myself rather than pushing myself and not being satisfied with the results.”

While the event appears as a missed opportunity, Suni hasn’t given up yet. As the fans got to watch Suni being back at practice, the athlete seemed to be gearing up. Her persistence and adaptability only oblige the world to await the star’s return.