Suni Lee, the American artistic gymnast, has become one of the most celebrated athletes in her sport.
By the age of 21, she’s already made an incredible mark on gymnastics, beginning her journey in her hometown of Saint Paul, Minnesota.
As of the Paris 2024 Olympics, Suni holds six Olympic medals, a testament to her talent and dedication.
Lee has received multiple prestigious awards and honors. In 2021, she was recognized as Female Athlete of the Year by Sports Illustrated and named Sportswoman of the Year by the Women’s Sports Foundation.
She was also featured in Time 100, the list of the 100 most influential people in the world and also received the Asia Game Changer Award.
With all those achievements, Lee also faced major setbacks with her health.
Suni Lee kidney disease:
In 2023, Suni surprised her fans by announcing her decision to retire early from college gymnastics due to her health issues.
As per Today, she said, “I have been dealing with a non-gymnastics health related issue involving my kidneys. For my safety, the medical team did not clear me to train and compete over the last few weeks,” the then-20-year-old wrote on Twitter at the time. “
She woke up one morning and her entire body swollen, feeling as if she suddenly gained a lot of weight.
Doctors initially suspect an allergic reaction, but the treatment failed to reduce the swelling.
After several rounds of tests, doctors discovered that Lee had a rare, incurable kidney condition.
During her talk at the Team USA Media Summit in April 2024, Lee shared that her condition is in remission and she is almost back to her usual training schedule.
Unfortunately, she experienced return of worsening of her medical condition just before the 2024 Paris Olympic trials and competed amid health issues. She won three medals at Paris Olympics.
Suni Lee Instagram:
She has Instagram account, Sunisa Lee, where she connects with her 3.4 million followers. She often post about beauty, skincare, gym and health routines.