Life has been bumpy for Suni Lee in the last couple of years. Diagnosed with a career-threatening kidney injury, the Auburn star was on the verge of calling it quits. However, her passion and zeal persevered. Joining Simone Biles and other Team USA gymnasts, Lee bagged another team gold at the 2024 Paris Olympics, proving dedication always pays off. And now, she seems finally comfortable enough with her condition to talk about it.

Even a month before the Paris Games, Lee confessed that stepping into the gym required a lot from her. Finding the motivation to execute her skills felt like a monumental task. But she bounced back in style and is once again on Cloud 9. Getting the hang of things Suni Lee is ready to take on the next phase of her life with bravado.

The 21-year-old Olympian recently talked to OK! Magazine, revealing how her initial diagnosis made her feel like at rock bottom. However, three Olympic medals later, Lee seems to have taken firm control over her own life despite what the doctors had to say about her gymnastics career. “In the beginning, it was super hard for me to talk about it because I didn’t really know what I was talking about,” said Suni as she mentioned how learning about the disease has helped to open her eyes about it.

And that’s also the thing that made her realize that she wasn’t alone in the fight. Iterating how she understands that such a disease can distraught families, Suni Lee said, “I know if I was struggling then a lot of other people were too.” And yet, being the patient of a disease that she was notified was incurable got to her mind, and Lee scurried to find a place to seclude herself from the world around her. “I used to be so embarrassed not because I had kidney disease but because I didn’t know what I was talking about,” she said.

However, she didn’t want to let her condition get the better of her to cause panic among others. Instead, Lee sought to educate herself about the disease as much as she could to give others confidence. “I didn’t want to share wrong information but getting to speak about it and learning more about it has made me feel so much more comfortable in my own skin,” grinned the Tigers gymnast. While things definitely look bright, Lee’s journey to be where she is now wasn’t an easy one by any means.

Traversing mountains of self-doubt, Suni Lee has found her place alongside the GOAT

Just days ahead of the 33rd Games, Lee noted that she struggled to make herself believe that she could repeat her feat from Tokyo. The AA gold medalist at the 2020 Olympics, Suni had to bow out of the 2023 World Championships for kidneys. Naturally, bleakness was the only thing that she felt. “Whenever I’m talking to my coaches, I get really sad because I’m never going to be the same. I’m not the same Suni, I’m not the same athlete,” she said in an interview before the rumble in Paris earlier this year. The situation broke her and shattered her to the core. “I honestly forget that I won the Olympics sometimes,” Lee told Sports Insider.

Thankfully, with the likes of Simone Biles and Jordan Chiles beside her, Lee once again found the flair inside of her and went on to the City of Love with gusto. While she had to hand over her AA title to Biles, Lee didn’t fare too badly and walked away from the competition with a bronze in the event. Lee later recalled how knowing that she’s the role model of many an aspiring gymnast from around the world helped her to get over the troubles of her disease and go on to reclaim her status as an elite gymnast. How would you like to congratulate Suni Lee for her massive Parisian triumph? Tell us with a comment!