Suni Lee: How did she overcome kidney disease to shine at the Paris 2024 Olympics?

Who is Suni Lee?

Sunisa Lee, a 21-year-old gymnast from St. Paul, Minnesota, has achieved significant success at both the Tokyo 2020 and Paris 2024 Olympic Games.

In Tokyo, Lee won the prestigious individual all-around gold medal, making her the fifth consecutive American woman to claim this title. She also secured a bronze medal in the uneven bars and helped the US earn a silver medal in the team competition.

After fiercely battling and overcoming significant health challenges, Lee qualified for the 2024 Paris Games, where she won a gold medal in the team event and earned bronze medals in both the individual all-around and uneven bars.

A quote from her coach, Jess Graba, highlights her determination: “A lot of people say, ‘She already won the gold. What else does she have to prove?’ But she didn’t win the gold to prove anything to you in the first place. She did it because she loves gymnastics.” Graba's words underscore Lee's passion and dedication to the sport she loves.

How did Suni discover her kidney disease diagnosis? What impact did it have on her gymnastics training and performance?

In February 2023, Lee began experiencing unusual swelling in her ankles, face, hands, and legs. Initially attributing the swelling to her rigorous training schedule, she realized something was wrong when her entire body swelled, affecting her performance as she slipped off the bar during practice. Doctors initially suspected an allergic reaction, but when the symptoms persisted and her weight increased by around 40 pounds (18.14 kg), they ruled it out.

After numerous tests, Lee was diagnosed with two rare, incurable kidney diseases. The kidneys, which normally filter waste and water from the blood, were damaged, causing excess fluid to accumulate in her body.

Throughout her life, Suni Lee had always relied on her body to perform on command. However, she now found herself unable to do anything. By March, about a month after her symptoms first appeared, Lee stopped training. The severity of her condition led her to leave school and announce her early retirement from college gymnastics to focus on her health.

“I was just rotting in my bed,” Lee said, feeling isolated and unable to communicate.

How did Suni Lee recover and prepare for the Olympics after her kidney disease diagnosis?

While she had previously considered an Olympic comeback, Lee now worried about time constraints. Her coach, Jess Graba, reminded her that recovery wouldn't be straightforward. “She thought, like every kid, Well, after I take the medicine, it will go back to normal, right?” he said. “But it’s never going back to normal.”

Graba was concerned about Lee's long-term quality of life, beyond gymnastics. When doctors cleared her for some activity in mid-April, he was relieved. “Everything else in my world is just completely off the rails right now,” Lee noted. “But here I can go into the gym and just be myself.” Even as Lee saw some improvement, she had to adapt her training each day based on what her body could handle, from bouncing on a trampoline when her eyes were swollen shut to doing her full uneven bars routine on good days. She also began treating her joints and ligaments with more care and reduced her sodium intake.

“My coaches have never had to deal with someone who has had two kidney diseases,” Lee said at the Team USA Media Summit in April 2024. “It’s all a learning process. And we’re taking it day by day.”

Despite the challenges, Lee decided to compete in the national championships, where she won bronze on the balance beam in August. However, her recovery was not straightforward, and she had to withdraw from the world selection camp in September. On January 4, 2024, a call from her doctors gave Suni Lee hope for competing in the Paris Olympics. With about seven months to go, she began serious training, which was much shorter than her five to seven years of preparation for the Tokyo Games.

Suni's determination paid off at the Paris 2024 Olympics, where she showcased her incredible resilience and skill. She not only competed but excelled, winning a gold medal in the team event and securing a bronze in both the individual all-around and uneven bars. Her victories in Paris were a testament to her perseverance, proving that she could overcome immense challenges and still achieve greatness on the world stage.

How does Suni Lee take care of her mental health and stay emotionally strong?

Lee’s dazzling debut and gold medal win in the women’s all-around event at the Tokyo 2020 Olympics was a dream come true, but with this success came increased pressure to replicate her performance at the Paris Olympics. She admits that much of the pressure is self-imposed, fuelled by the expectations of being a public figure and social media presence.

To cope with the mental stress, Suni Lee has developed a simple yet effective self-care routine. She relies on journaling to express her emotions and manage her stress, describing it as “therapeutic and incredibly helpful” before competitions. Journaling allows her to release pent-up feelings, preventing emotional overload.

In addition to writing, Lee regularly attends therapy sessions, which provide a safe space to verbalize her feelings and work through mental challenges. Therapy offers her the opportunity to discuss her experiences with someone who can provide an objective perspective, which she finds invaluable.

Lee's passion for gymnastics remains a grounding force in her life. Despite the pressures, her love for the sport keeps her motivated. To prepare mentally for competitions, she visualizes her routines, imagining herself performing at her best, and listens to empowering music, which helps her feel ready and confident.

She also balances her rigorous training with activities that help her relax and stay grounded. She spends time with family and friends, enjoys shopping, eats healthily, and takes restorative naps. These activities provide her with a sense of normalcy amidst the high demands of her gymnastics career. “Listening to my body when it needs rest helps me feel at peace,” she explains.

What does the future hold for Suni Lee?

Lee’s journey has been a learning process, especially as she manages her kidney diseases alongside her training. Her experiences have inspired not only her teammates but also her fans, showing that perseverance and self-care are key to overcoming hard times.

Following her remarkable feats at the Paris Olympics, Lee has continued to advocate for kidney health awareness, even teaming up with the American Kidney Fund (AKF) and joining their Know Your Kidneys initiative. She uses her platform to encourage others to pursue their dreams, no matter the obstacles. Lee plans to engage in motivational speaking and work with organizations that support athletes with chronic health conditions. As she continues to push toward her goals, Lee's dedication and mental strength serve as a powerful example for athletes and non-athletes alike.

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