Suni Lee shares harsh reality of returning to the gym after a long hiatus since Paris Olympics

Suni Lee is one of the best American gymnasts of the current generation, having won multiple World and Olympic medals. Recently, the 22-year-old made her way to the gym for the first time since the Paris Olympics and shed light upon the harsh reality of her return.

Lee first rose to fame during the 2020 Tokyo Games, where she clinched gold in the all-around, becoming the first Asian-American woman to achieve this feat. At the same Olympics, she also won a bronze medal on the uneven bars and a silver in the team event. Four years later, Lee beat the odds to return to the Olympic stage, battling a kidney disease that often forced her to stop training. At the 2024 Paris Games, she helped the USA win team gold while winning bronze in the all-around and uneven bars.

Since the Paris Olympics, Suni Lee has taken some time away from the gym to explore new adventures, but she recently tried out her skills on the uneven bars. Sharing a glimpse of her return on her Instagram story, the gymnast revealed that her outing in the bars made her shoulders give up on her, writing,

“Was feeling bored so I went into the gym for the first time since the Olympics, about 7 months ago?? And I caught the first yeager i tried 😭, my shoulders are doneeee for after this.”

Via Suni Lee's Instagram

Suni Lee on discovering herself outside gymnastics

Lee at the SNL50: The Homecoming Concert (Image Source: Getty)

After her fantastic outing at the Paris Olympics, Suni Lee moved to New York to explore her other interests. The gymnast has primarily been working in fashion, and she told Glamour magazine that she felt fashion was a helpful tool for self-expression as she rediscovers herself outside of gymnastics, saying,

“It’s always just been gymnastics, gymnastics, gymnastics, whereas right now it’s like, Who is Suni outside gymnastics? She’s fun, she’s energetic, outgoing, very brave. But not a lot of people see that, and it’s something that I want to expand on more. I think fashion can be a really good way to express yourself.”

While she may be working on different projects for now, Lee hasn't entirely ruled out the possibility of a return to gymnastics. In the same interview, the American explained that if she were to return for the LA Olympics, she wouldn't want a ‘huge story' about it, saying,

“I don’t think I would want there to be a huge story. I’d just want to work my butt off in the gym every single day and get everything that I deserved at the Olympics.”

For now, Suni Lee is focused on her new adventures. After moving to New York, the gymnast attended the New York Fashion Week, and signed partnerships with Hoka and All Laundry, among other things.