Suni Lee is on a roll at the moment. Landing up a collaboration with Big Apple, Lee is juggling her new life in New York City. She has also been enjoying a lot of spotlight lately. In some honest confessions from the Tokyo all-around champion, Lee seems to be enjoying all the glitz and glamour quite well. After all, she is getting recognized by personalities like Hailey Bieber and her childhood hero, Beyonce! 

This journey to success wasn’t an easy one for the U.S. gymnast. She had to fight hard to earn her respect, facing struggles that took a toll on her mental health, even leading her into a period of depression that jeopardized her career. So, how did things turn around? Whenever we talk about gymnastics, there’s one name we can’t ignore—Simone Biles.

Already known to have flaunted her motherly instincts among her younger teammates, it was Biles’ support that did a world of good to Lee’s confidence. Speaking in a recent exclusive interview with PEOPLE, Lee reflected on how nurturing Biles’ character was. She said, “I mean, l’ve looked up to her for as long as I can remember, since I’ve been doing gymnastics, elite gymnastics especially, and it’s just really cool to see that she’s as good a person as she is an athlete, and so having her on the floor and just even get to compete alongside her has been such a dream.”

Surely, Lee did need a strong hand of support. Because after her Tokyo triumph, things unexpectedly started to fall apart. Initially, the haters began to criticize Lee labeling her as ‘undeserving’ of the gold medal. They pointed out that it was due to Biles’ withdrawal that Lee was able to win the all-around title. 

Such a brutal backlash following one of the greatest moments of her life rocked her mental state. But Suni Lee’s demons were just not ready to bid adieu yet. After a few days, Lee started to develop abdominal complications. On being checked thoroughly, she was diagnosed with a complicated case of kidney disease.

Suni Lee was blindsided by the suggestion to retire from elite gymnastics. Fortunately, she responded well to treatment and managed to return to the mat. However, the mental toll remained, leaving her shaken by the ordeal. That’s when she found the support she needed—Simone Biles stepped in as her steadying force.

Simone Biles gets Suni Lee out of the dark pit

While Lee was enveloped in dark clouds of self-doubts, that is when Simone Biles decided to take matters into her own hands. Going up to Biles for help, Lee explained how she crumbled every time she realized that her fans expected her to win. Approaching the situation with utmost care and compassion, Biles shared some valuable advice with the Olympic gold medalist. Reflecting on the incident, Biles recalled, “She was, like, Im not OK… believe in her gymnastics… I wanted her to trust in her abilities and know she could handle the tough moments.”

And this was not all. Coming to Paris, Biles once again showed her motherly side. Competing in the balance beam final, Lee had an unfortunate fall. This made significant distraught as the Olympic champion looked visibly uncomfortable. Sensing the situation, Biles was seen quickly coming up to Lee and giving her a warm embrace. She was also spotted mouthing some pep talks to lift her spirits. 

Surely, Biles’ efforts did not go in vain. Overcoming her depression, Lee managed to clinch three Olympic medals. While she won the gold with the team, Lee notched up bronze medals in the women’s all-around and the uneven bars final. Thus, getting help from the GOAT herself, Suni Lee is surely back to being her jubilant self now that she once used to be.