From calling off her career at Auburn to becoming a gold favorite at Paris Olympics, a look at Suni Lee's incredible journey through kidney illnesses

Suni Lee is currently competing at the Paris Olympics 2024. The American qualified for her second Summer Games - the 2024 Paris Olympics - at the 2024 U.S. Olympic Gymnastics Trials in Minneapolis.

However, the journey to qualifying for her second Olympics was filled with challenges. One of the primary obstacles Lee faced in returning to the USA Gymnastics team was her diagnosis of kidney disease.

Following the Tokyo Olympics, Lee joined Auburn University to focus on her collegiate career, having signed a letter of intent with them in November 2020. Representing Auburn Tigers, she emerged as the balance beam champion and won the silver medal at the NCAA Championships in 2022.

However, in early 2023, she got diagnosed with a kidney illness, resulting in her calling off her career at Auburn University earlier than scheduled. She announced the news on her Twitter (now X) account about ending her collegiate journey at Auburn.

Later, it was revealed that Suni Lee had two kidney diseases, which caused swelling in multiple body parts, cramps, headaches, hot flashes, and cold spells. She also gained 45 pounds due to excess fluid retention caused by her kidney illness which left her return to competitions uncertain.

At the Team USA media summit held in April 2024, she mentioned how the kidney diseases affected her, stating:

"I could not bend my legs the slightest, I couldn't squeeze my fingers, my face was swollen. I looked like a completely different person. It was very, very miserable."

She relied on medications to manage her incurable kidney disease. However, on January 4, 2024, Lee received a call from her doctor informing her that they could lower the dosage of her medication because her condition had improved. As a result, she decided to pursue her shot at the Paris Olympics.

Suni Lee’s road to Paris Olympics 2024

Suni Lee reacts at U.S. Olympic Team Gymnastics Trials (Photo by Elsa/Getty Images)

On her return to competitions at the 2024 Winter Cup, Suni Lee had a rough beginning as she faltered on uneven bars, finishing 26th, and came 13th on the balance beam. She then put up an extraordinary show on the balance beam, scoring 14.600 to top the star-studded field at the 2024 Core Hydration Classic.

She then featured in all four apparatuses at the Xfinity US Gymnastics Championships in which she came fourth in the women’s all-around with an overall 110.65 and placed second on balance beam. In the U.S. Olympic trials, Lee displayed her brilliance as she came second with a combined total of 111.675 to make her second successive Games, battling all the struggles on her way.