The Paris Olympics aren’t just about winning medals for countries or athletes; they’re about overcoming personal battles too! The true champions are those who have faced health challenges yet are still making it to Paris, like Suni Lee and Tyler Wright. Suni Lee, 21, America’s Tokyo 2020 all-around gymnastics champion, has qualified for her second Olympics despite revealing her battle with two incurable kidney diseases since 2023. She’s proven that every setback is a setup for a comeback.

Similarly, Australian surfer Tyler Wright has been riding the waves despite balance issues caused by frequent head knocks but still looking for an Olympics debut. Doctors even consider her ability to still compete a ‘miracle,’ showing that where there’s a will, there’s a way. But how did they overcome such setbacks? What exactly happened to them?

How Suni Lee overcame health challenges and is still keeping the Olympic flame alive

After Suni Lee’s Tokyo heroics, where she clinched multiple medals, her life took an unexpected turn in early 2023. She began experiencing alarming health issues: abnormal swelling in her ankles, face, hands, and legs. “I just kept getting more swollen… and I think I gained, like, 40 pounds,” she recalled.

Initially, doctors thought it to be an allergic reaction, but her symptoms worsened, including difficulty urinating, prompting further medical investigations and a kidney biopsy. Hence, the diagnosis revealed two types of incurable kidney disease, throwing her a curveball in her career and prompting Lee to pause her gymnastics career to prioritize treatment and recovery.

Throughout 2023, Lee faced the physical and emotional rollercoaster of managing her condition. She had to drastically adjust her training regimen and faced moments of doubt about her return to elite gymnastics. “When she attempted to train, she struggled to perform as usual,” Suni’s Lee coach, Graba recounted. “I kept slipping off the bar. I couldn’t maintain my grip,” Lee explained. “My fingers were so swollen that I couldn’t even execute a basic kip cast to handstand on bars.” She recalled grappling with thoughts like, “What if I never get to do gymnastics again or make it to the Olympics?”

However, by early 2024, there was a silver lining when her condition went into remission. She slowly resumed training, adapting her routines to suit her health needs. By mid-2024, Lee was noticeably improving and felt hopeful about her training journey towards the Paris Olympics. She attributed her recovery to her medical team and supportive network, who helped her through this tough period. And finally, she made it in the Paris Olympics trials at June end, achieving second place with an all-around score of 111.675. Thus qualifing for the Olympics! In a similar way, Tyler Wright overcame her skull surgery.

Tyler Wright has faced setbacks but has grown through them

Tyler Wright’s journey hasn’t been easy, especially this year! She at the age of 30, underwent a life-changing surgery during the offseason to address a significant respiratory issue affecting her ability to compete at the highest level in surfing. The two-time World Champion revealed that medical experts discovered she was often under-oxygenated and experiencing difficulty breathing through her nose due to narrow airways. This condition led her to withdraw from a World Surf League event in Brazil.

The surgery, which involved skull expansion to widen her airways, was described as a miracle by specialists, who expressed amazement at her continued success in surfing despite these challenges. Wright, now equipped with seven screws in her head post-surgery, also noted that the procedure temporarily affected her balance. However, she revealed, “I’ve struggled this season with adapting only because I got hit in the head and I’ve still got a fair few screws in my head.” she is recovering well, which has historically been a struggle.

Wright has dealt with multiple injuries throughout her life. But the repeated head impacts caused balance issues, exacerbated by inner-ear problems that began in November last year i.e., 2023. The skull expansion surgery added different pressures on her skull and neck, making adjustments challenging. It seems Wright believes you either sink or swim. In the critical moments, she relies on instinct and intuition. However, in May she qualified for the Paris Olympics!

Suni Lee and Tyler Wright’s journeys are shining examples of making lemonade when life gives you lemons. They showed the ability to turn adversity into opportunity, showing that you can weather the storm and come out stronger on the other side.