Suni Lee, the defending all-around champion from Tokyo 2021, is prepared to fend off the challengers to her throne. Triumphing her way past the Paris Olympics qualification round, Lee made her motive clear. She is not going back home empty-handed! Indeed so, for she has circumvented many obstacles to scale these heights again. And sometimes, the horrors of her past flash in front of her eyes.

Battling two rare kidney diseases, Lee’s return to the mats once seemed pear-shaped. Her face had puffed up, to the extent that her eyes were swollen shut. But today, she stands in all her glory to defend her Olympic title. However, the undercurrents of that phase in her life still crawl back at times. Speaking to the New York Times, Lee mentions how that version of her was nearly unrecognizable to the Auburn star. She admits, “I was like, who is this person looking back at me?” It was nearly frightening. She continued, “It was so scary. I didn’t know it then, but the old Suni was gone. And she would never be back.” 

2023 season for Lee was horrid, as her health went for a serious toss. She was charged up to light fireworks, but all of a sudden, her swelling restricted her from even bending legs. Confirmations of her rare diseases came in via tests, whereas she had already bid adieu to her NCAA dreams. Sadly, sooner than she imagined. The aftermath was even more devastating. Imagine, a gymnast who had envisioned a long career gains 40 pounds. And it restricts her to be, ‘rotting in the bed.’ But today, that chapter is sealed shut.

Suni Lee’s Paris Olympics opener, a hit all the way!

Day 1 in the Bercy Arena, Suni Lee and Simone Biles rose to center stage. Starting with a strong 14.033 on the balance beam, Lee’s dismount looked as good as ever. Lee’s weaker show on the floor was followed by her comeback on the uneven bars, where she landed in the top three, with a 14.866. And courtesy of all her performances combined, she was slotted third all-around, after Biles and Rebeca Andrade.

As of now, her 56.132 score has landed her in the all-around finals, where can defend her Tokyo medal. Also, opportunities for other accolades are open for her in uneven bars and the balance beam. This denotes how far she has come from the days, when she gradually came back into the sport. Initially, Lee stuck to a minimal routine. And now she is shining on the big stage, balancing both complexity and elegance. It just reminds us of what an ‘unstoppable force’ she is. What do you think of it? let us know below.