Imagine being in the ultimate spotlight during your teens. Winning the Olympic overall gold. Getting admitted to a prestigious University back home. And then poof! Everything just comes crashing down and you are suddenly diagnosed with a chronic disease! Well, that is exactly how the life story of 20-year-old gymnast Suni Lee panned out. Luckily, her hard work and determination seem to have gotten the better of her illness as she is once again raring to go. 

Lee appeared in an interview recently where she opened up about her struggles for the past year. Lee spoke about how she was in the process of healing and had also started hitting the gym regularly. While her kidney issue did strip off her NCAA career with Auburn, her Olympic dreams are far from over. 

Suni Lee taking things slow

Anyone who is told by a doctor about an incurable kidney disease is sure to break from within. However, Lee decided to compose herself and trust the process patiently. For about five months, the 20-year-old could not step inside a gymnasium. Admitting her worries, Lee terms the period as a “rough patch” and pointed out that it was more of a mental struggle than a physical one. 

However, times began to change for the good slowly. Lee stressed on her overall well-being and has finally announced her much-awaited return. The American gymnast will be making a comeback at the upcoming Winter Cup in Louisville, Kentucky on Saturday. But she will not go full swing there. Lee will participate only in the balance beam and uneven bars. Speaking exclusively to Olympic.com, Lee stated, “I’m feeling a lot better [now]… I honestly haven’t really been thinking about the Olympics. I feel like my biggest goal right now is to get this skill named in Baku, that’s just been the only thing on my mind.”

She wants to secure a place in the Baku World Cup, where she plans to weave her magic with her signature full-twisting layout Jaeger catch and release. Surely, the Baku Worlds is utterly important for her after Lee was compelled to withdraw from the Pan Am games and the World Championships in 2023. Aiming for a fresh start, Lee credited her turnaround to her coach. 

Sunisa Lee credits Jess Graba

Lee stated that during her illness, all she did was roll over in her bed. Feeling emotionally drained out, Lee prayed for the illness to go away. Now when she is once again seeing the Olympic dream, the young gymnast is all praises for her coach Jess Graba. Reflecting on the same, Lee said, “Jess has to snap me into reality all the time…He’s part of the reason why I got back out of my slump.”

Read More: Suni Lee Faces Harsh Fall While Training Dangerous Twisting Jaeger Move Ahead Of Gymnastics Winter Cup 2024

Graba acknowledged the praise and doubled down on the fact that it was indeed challenging for him. He said, “It was really hard to get herself to believe that she could make a run at it again.” Thus, with the silver lining clearly visible amidst the cluttering dark clouds, Suni Lee is once again dreaming of a glory-filled evening in Paris, which looked like a mirage just months ago. 

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