"It can be kind of isolating"- Suni Lee recalls suffering from eczema even before kidney ailment ended her collegiate career at Auburn University

Suni Lee recalled her eczema-struck days which kept her isolated from her dear ones. Eczema, dubbed atopic dermatitis, the skin condition causing dry, flaky, and itchy skin, affected most of Lee's youth.

The 2020 Tokyo Olympics all-around champion made waves on the elite level at a young age. She was the first Hmong American to win the Olympics all-around gold in the quadrennial event. After her Olympic glory, Suni Lee registered with Auburn University to solely focus on NCAA-level gymnastics.

Lee completed second all-around at the 2022 NCAA Championships, along with the balance beam gold. She was slated to end her Auburn University career in 2022-23 but was forced to exit her college in the wake of a debilitating kidney disease.

However, her kidney issue was not the only roadblock in her life and career. At a young age, Lee was diagnosed with eczema, which led to isolating times. Her condition encapsulated flaking of the skin, redness, and relentless itching, among others.

In an interview with Eli Lilly and Company, she recalled her physical difficulties.

"My skin was always super dry, super flaky. It was really uncomfortable because it was really itchy. But my mom ended up taking me to the doctor and my doctor sent me to a dermatologist, and that's when we got my diagnosis and we found the right treatment plan." (via CBS News)

She further shed light on how isolating those times can be and inspired people to believe that eczema doesn't define them.

"It can be kind of isolating when you deal with eczema and having an eczema flare-up, so I just want people to know that you are not alone and it does not define you."

"Eczema flare ups, they can definitely get in my head" - Suni Lee sheds light on how eczema held the potential to ruin her events

According to dermatologist Dr. Alexandra Golant, the patients feel anxious when the skin starts itching when eczema shows up. Suni Lee has been a victim of this kind of anxiety as well.

"Eczema flare ups, they can definitely get in my head. Being on a competition floor, having so many eyes on you and just trying not to be worried about if people are looking at my skin or like itching myself because the more that I itch myself, the flakier it's going to get, the drier it's going to." (via CBS News)

Fast forward to now, Suni Lee settled with the thought that "everybody has something going on," which propelled her to expose her skin and perform gymnastics in leotards. She will compete at the US Olympic Trials 2024 in front of the home crowd in Minnesota.