“I didn’t know if I was going to be able to do it,” Suni Lee confessed after qualifying for the Paris Olympics. Just a year ago, she was grappling with two kidney-related illnesses that disrupted her training for some time. Despite being the reigning all-around gold medalist from the Tokyo 2020 Games, she wasn’t sure she would make it to where she is now heading to Paris with Team USA to compete in the 2024 Olympics. As she said, “‘Oh my gosh, did I make Trials? Did I make Trials?’ And everyone’s like, ‘Yeah, duh, you got the red [national team] jacket!.” But how did she do it?

After being diagnosed with kidney disease in early 2023, Suni Lee has been navigating each day with resilience, emerging stronger from the shadows of doubt. “I am in remission, so I’m getting a lot stronger,” she reflects. Despite her steadfast preparation, she faced detractors who dismissed her Olympic aspirations with comments like “Suni Lee has no chance at the Olympics,”, “No! Maybe she’ll be in LA28,” casting shadows of uncertainty.

In an interview with ELLE magazine, Lee opened up about the uphill battle against online critics. “There was a point where I didn’t want to show my face on social media,” she admits. Despite efforts to disconnect, Lee acknowledges the lingering impact of negative comments. “I just don’t like the feeling of when people don’t like you.” Following advice from her coaches and managers, she tries her best to limit her social media presence, but as a prominent athlete with brand commitments such as Kiss Nails, pearson+appright now, and more, she finds it challenging to fully disconnect. But fast-forward to today, Lee knows how to deal with it.

“You just know people are always going to say something, but I’ve just had to learn that none of that stuff matters.”Undeterred, Lee continued to push forward. “They can’t do half the things that I can…or anything that I can,” she asserts, rising above the noise. Her journey back hasn’t been easy, but she continues to silence her critics, not only by words but by actions.

For a gymnast who started her training at the age of six under the same coach that’s Jess Graba, Suni Lee wouldn’t settle for merely spectating. At the Olympic trials, she defied expectations by clinching second place in the all-around competition, securing her ticket to Paris. She came second to Simone Biles, who scored a total of 117.225 compared to Suni Lee’s 111.675. Throughout her journey, Lee wrestled with keeping her mental health intact despite facing her toughest critic—her own inner doubts. But how did she conquer this inner battle?

How did Suni Lee prioritize her mental health despite kidney disease and eczema challenges?

Suni Lee has made mental health her top priority, weaving therapy into her demanding eight-hour training days. It’s a cornerstone of her routine, helping her stay grounded and focused. Saying about her tough times, Lee acknowledges battling her inner critic, which once took a toll on her confidence, leaving her hesitant to face herself in the mirror. Nevertheless, she now feels she’s turning a corner, reclaiming her self-assurance and inner strength.

Her teammates, including the resilient Simone Biles, who has also rejoined the Olympic team, provide invaluable support. Lee finds inspiration in Biles’ extraordinary talents, which spurred her to constantly strive for improvement. But Suni Lee has courageously also managed the challenges of living with eczema, a chronic condition that has impacted her since childhood. Characterized by skin inflammation, redness, and intense itching, eczema has been a constant in Lee’s life, often exacerbated by stress- an all-too-common trigger for flare-ups.

Despite the discomfort and visible symptoms, including red rashes on exposed areas of her skin, Lee has found ways to cope and thrive, especially crucial as a professional athlete constantly in the public eye. Inistially Lee has faced insecurities about her skin’s appearance but has learned to embrace her condition as part of her journey. When fate seemed to be against her, but against all odds, she turned the tables. Her determination proved that when the going gets tough, the tough get going.