Suni Lee Calls Paris Olympics Her ‘Redemption Tour’ Amid Kidney Disease Battle

Gymnast Sunisa “Suni” Lee reflected connected her inspirational acquisition astatine nan 2024 Olympics successful Paris amid her conflict pinch kidney disease.

“This has been my redemption circuit from nan past Olympics, and I’ve been trying to springiness myself grace for not being, I conjecture afloat backmost to normal Suni,” she told People successful an question and reply that was published connected Tuesday, August 6. “But ever since I sewage sick, I consciousness for illustration normal Suni is — she’s conscionable a different woman now.”

Suni, 21, antecedently won golden successful nan women’s individual all-around astatine nan Tokyo games successful 2021, arsenic good arsenic a bronze successful nan uneven bars and a metallic squad medal. After making her Olympics debut, Suni began her assemblage profession astatine Auburn University. However, her acquisition was unexpectedly trim short erstwhile she was diagnosed pinch 2 forms of incurable kidney disease successful 2023.

“I’m much mature,” she told nan outlet astir her astir caller acquisition astatine nan Olympics. “I person a batch much fun.”

The master jock past added that she made judge to person much nosy for her 2nd Olympics nary matter really she performed. “I’ve conscionable been taking successful each azygous moment,” she said, noting that she “had to flooded truthful overmuch successful nan past mates of years, physically, mentally, anything.”

“We emotion being together,” Suni added astir her teammates Simone Biles, Jade Carey, Jordan Chiles and Hezly Rivera. “We’re specified a awesome team, arsenic you guys tin tell, whenever we’re retired there, everything conscionable clicks erstwhile we’re together.”

While Team USA won gold, Suni earned a bronze successful nan individual all-around and different bronze successful nan uneven bars.

Suni concluded nan question and reply by stating she’s not judge if she will compete successful different Olympics. However, she reflected connected what a typical acquisition nan 2024 games person been.

“I deliberation everything conscionable intends truthful overmuch much because I didn’t deliberation that I would beryllium here,” she said. “And conscionable knowing that I was capable to flooded everything and ne'er gave up was astir apt nan astir typical moment, I conjecture for me, successful winning each of those medals.”

Suni hasn’t revealed her nonstop diagnosis, though she antecedently told SELF magazine that her information is “rare” and that her aesculapian squad believes that it could change.

“I conscionable kept getting much swollen … and I deliberation I gained, like, 40 pounds,” she told nan outlet while detailing really she knew thing was wrong. “I kept peeling disconnected nan bar. I couldn’t clasp on. My fingers were truthful swollen.”

Her aesculapian squad initially thought she was experiencing an allergic reaction, though they had 2nd guesses erstwhile she began experiencing basking flashes, acold spells, headaches and cramping. “I was conscionable rotting successful my bed. I couldn’t talk to anybody. I didn’t time off nan house,” Suni told Sports Illustrated successful June 2023.

She yet sewage much clear answers erstwhile Team USA Gymnastics expert Marcia Faustin suggested she return a urine test, which led Suni to admit she had been having problem urinating for 2 weeks. After a biopsy was taken of her kidney tissue, Suni was put connected regular medicine to thief negociate her symptoms.