"I went into a relapse”- Suni Lee breaks silence on facing severe hardships before competing at U.S. Trials for the Paris Olympics

By Adityan Pillai

Modified Oct 06, 2024 01:56 GMT

Suni Lee spoke about her struggles before the U.S. Olympic Gymnastics Trials that profoundly impacted her training for the Games. The American gymnast shared that she had to get immediate medical attention to continue her training as she aimed to pursue her Olympic dream again.

Lee was diagnosed with a kidney disease in 2023. She took to X to inform her fans about her diagnosis and revealed that her medical team did not clear her training and compete to focus on her recovery. After receiving the necessary treatment, the gymnast saw positive changes in January 2024 and shared that her doctors contemplated stopping some of her medications as she showed a significant improvement.

Lee revealed that along with her team, she had made several changes in her training routine while preparing for the Paris Olympics. However, her condition started recurring in 2024 before the U.S. Olympics Gymnastics Trials.

She broke her silence and spoke for the first time about her relapse in an interview with Glamour. Lee revealed that her body was getting tired faster and she could feel the swelling come up again.

“Nobody knows this, but the week before the Olympic trials, I had to get an infusion because I went into a relapse. I was getting tired fast, practices were getting harder, and her body was swelling up again. I had to take a little more time off, but the infusion made a “world of a difference,”" she told Glamour.

Despite all the struggles, she put in a great performance to win the silver medal and qualify for the Paris Olympics. She said about her performance at the trials:

“I was able to do everything that I was supposed to do.”

Suni Lee on qualifying for the Paris Olympics

Suni Lee at the Olympic Games in Paris 2024 - Artistic Gymnastics - Source: Getty

Suni Lee spoke about qualifying for the Paris Olympics in an interview with the Today. The 21-year-old shared how she thought about quitting and faced a lot of self-doubt on seeing her peers make significant improvements during her time away from the gym.

“There were so many times where I thought about quitting and just giving up because I was so sick, and it was just so hard to stay motivated, watching everybody get better, and I’m just like I can’t even get back into the gym and constantly doubting myself,” she said.

Lee credited her parents and friends for being a strong support and always uplifting her during tough times.