This entire season has been an absolute whirlwind for Suni Lee. Over a year ago, the gymnast battled not one but two kidney diseases. She had to navigate through the hardships of her body, unable to perform basic skills. But the 21-year-old returned to the mat with renewed vigor. She then snagged three shiny Olympic hardware in the French capital before moving from her humble abode in Minnesota to New York. Lee was also one of Glamour magazine’s Women of the Year for 2024. 

As impressive as that is, she didn’t even think she would make it to her second Summer Games berth. “Not many people get to come here twice and compete with the best of the best,” the Olympian stated. But the games have long concluded, and she is now settling in on a much quieter life. But it seems like the gymnastics life will never leave her side. On October 17, she joined Yahoo Sports’ Caroline Fenton to talk about what her life has been like since. 

During this candid chat, the host remarked on her achievements both on and off the mat. However, it soon shifted towards whether she would return for a third Olympic berth on her home turf. We can almost hear Suni Lee let out a sigh. “The Olympics just happened, so I am trying to give myself a little bit of grace and let my body and my mental health rest as much as possible because my body went through a lot, especially with the kidney disease, then getting COVID, having to deal with the injuries as well,” she confessed.

The 21-year-old had a tumultuous time in the past year, having to work her way back to peak form. However, going to the gym would always be her biggest challenge. “A part of me was just so embarrassed and ashamed to show my face,” she stated. The Olympian felt like she was letting all the little girls in the gym down. Why? Because she couldn’t do a lot of basic things. But the gymnast hasn’t shut the door on the possibility of competing just yet. 

“So, right now, it’s not something I’m thinking about, but it’s definitely still at the back of my mind,” Suni Lee exclaimed. For now, all she wants to do is take things one day at a time. Seeing how it is still 4 years away, the gymnast does believe she might change her mind. “And if I don’t, then I feel like I had a really good career,” she added. Even though she’s racked up six Olympic medals in two berths, the Olympian now looks forward to shaking things up. 

Suni Lee wants to make moves off the mat

As exciting and intense as the Paris Olympics were, the 21-year-old looked forward to returning to her home base. However, she was due for a massive change because the gymnast was finally looking to explore more avenues outside of training at the gym and dazzling crowds on the mat. “It’s always just been gymnastics, gymnastics, gymnastics, whereas right now it’s like, Who is Suni outside gymnastics?” she exclaimed.

Suni Lee had one goal leading up to the Summer Games—to put her best foot forward on the world’s biggest stage. But after successfully proving all the naysayers wrong, she decided to focus on her passion. The Olympian famously designed some of her leotards and has wanted to venture into the fashion and social media world with a few beauty campaigns. So, to ensure this happened, she decided to move to the Big Apple!

But she didn’t anticipate how difficult this would be. “I’m very shy, and I don’t like to talk to new people, because I get really nervous and awkward and then I get anxiety,” she stated. Even though she was uncertain, she made waves at the New York Fashion Week earlier this month. However, that wasn’t the only fashion show she was a part of. 

On October 15, Suni Lee turned heads at the Victoria’s Secret fashion show. After being cancelled in 2019, the show triumphantly returned on Tuesday, and all eyes were on the Olympian. When asked if she had any fashion advice for her fans, the 21-year-old promptly responded, “Um, I feel like I would just say to be confident and just stick to what you know.” The gymnast added that average is good enough, and we couldn’t agree more. While she might not be sure about another Olympic berth soon, we definitely will see more of her adventure in New York.