Suni Lee wins bronze at Olympics all-around with kidney disease: Everything she's said about her health

Suni Lee, former Olympic all-around champion, won bronze at the 2024 Paris Games despite battling two types of kidney disease.

[{"selector":"#anim-825d7d21-b1b5-4f45-a07e-954ae2cf2c77","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":700,"duration":600,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-ac7d429f-c1d6-4252-ada3-15da1e5a3d0a","keyframes":{"transform":["translate3d(-118.66666%, 0px, 0)","translate3d(0px, 0px, 0)"]},"delay":700,"duration":600,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}]

Lee’s return to the Olympics seemed unlikely due to her health issues, including an incurable kidney disease diagnosed in 2023.

[{"selector":"#anim-ee8392d4-e989-48e8-a628-f213cfd3b238","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":700,"duration":600,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-5df1e486-f7ae-4433-a320-75f1531240b0","keyframes":{"transform":["translate3d(-118.66666%, 0px, 0)","translate3d(0px, 0px, 0)"]},"delay":700,"duration":600,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}]

In an exclusive interview, Lee spoke about the challenges she faced, including self-doubt and the difficulty of staying motivated while sick.

[{"selector":"#anim-3b783bee-ab6f-4673-8cb8-d3c275e0e655","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":700,"duration":600,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-16b6ecaa-42f2-4348-a459-cf920cabff7c","keyframes":{"transform":["translate3d(-118.66666%, 0px, 0)","translate3d(0px, 0px, 0)"]},"delay":700,"duration":600,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}]

Lee’s comeback to elite gymnastics was a testament to overcoming adversity, inspiring others to pursue their dreams despite setbacks.

[{"selector":"#anim-14f5030d-90f7-486a-8245-2b8a10026df3","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":700,"duration":600,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-d60ce8c6-ed0e-4f43-929b-468a1d69eb5a","keyframes":{"transform":["translate3d(-118.66666%, 0px, 0)","translate3d(0px, 0px, 0)"]},"delay":700,"duration":600,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}]

Her kidney disease forced her to pause training temporarily, but she modified workouts and started physical therapy to accommodate her condition.

[{"selector":"#anim-ccbfad9b-4411-45ea-97f1-155cad04d92e","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":700,"duration":600,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-4cff9605-3ea4-4bf8-af8c-cfd059c51e72","keyframes":{"transform":["translate3d(-118.66666%, 0px, 0)","translate3d(0px, 0px, 0)"]},"delay":700,"duration":600,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}]

In January 2024, Lee’s condition showed improvement, with her doctor reducing medications and her trainer noting significant progress in her health.

[{"selector":"#anim-263c84ee-12a6-47a7-837b-d90fdcd986b0","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":700,"duration":600,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-26c43a16-7e04-401a-8150-26baac773874","keyframes":{"transform":["translate3d(-118.66666%, 0px, 0)","translate3d(0px, 0px, 0)"]},"delay":700,"duration":600,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}]

Now in remission, Lee has nearly returned to her normal training routine, feeling better and more confident in her gymnastics performance.

[{"selector":"#anim-bf1eb347-9dbf-45af-aaf2-96c6a9f02e4a","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":700,"duration":600,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-3444fd75-bc3d-4d15-8c4d-7f35712076bc","keyframes":{"transform":["translate3d(-118.66666%, 0px, 0)","translate3d(0px, 0px, 0)"]},"delay":700,"duration":600,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}]

Lee, who also has eczema, has been open about her mental health struggles, including imposter syndrome, anxiety attacks, and the importance of therapy.

[{"selector":"#anim-cf115a0b-05ff-44de-81b7-575196c7a9e1","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":700,"duration":600,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-d8205ec2-87f8-4fc2-9947-b5c81c934eca","keyframes":{"transform":["translate3d(-118.66666%, 0px, 0)","translate3d(0px, 0px, 0)"]},"delay":700,"duration":600,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}]