Suni Lee Opens Up About Living with Incurable Kidney Disease

USA gymnastics star Sunisa “Suni” Lee is tackling the Olympics despite nearly having her career derailed by an incurable kidney disease.

Lee, who has not disclosed her specific diagnosis (noting it may change with further testing), first realized something was wrong when she experienced extreme swelling that led doctors to suspect an allergic reaction.

“I kept peeling off the bar. I couldn’t hold on,” the 21-year-old told SELF magazine. “My fingers were so swollen, and I couldn’t even do a normal kip cast to handstand on bars.”

The swelling persisted, and Lee recounted, “I think I gained, like, 40 pounds. It affected my whole body and how I looked and how I was feeling.”

Following extensive testing and a kidney biopsy, Lee was diagnosed with kidney disease, forcing her to end her college gymnastics career last April when Auburn University physicians didn’t clear her to train.

“I am blessed and thankful to be working with the best specialized medical team to treat and manage my diagnosis. My focus at this time is my health and recovery,” she said at the time.

According to the Mayo Clinic, symptoms of chronic kidney disease can include nausea, vomiting, fatigue, sleep problems, decreased mental sharpness, and muscle cramps.

Lee’s condition also led her to withdraw from the world championship team last September due to medication-related challenges. “They’re still monkeying with the medication to try to get it so she reacts the same way each day,” her coach, Jess Graba, told USA Today. “As they’re adjusting the medication, then some days aren’t very good, so we have to adjust our training and sometimes we don’t train that day.”

However, in January 2024, Lee received a life-changing phone call from her doctor: her medications were working well, and she could resume training.

Despite the health challenges she has faced, Lee maintains a positive outlook. “Whenever I’m talking to my coaches, I’m always like, I get really sad because I’m never going to be the same, like the same Suni, not the same athlete,” she told the New York Times. “And they’re like, ‘Good.’ ” — because she’s now tougher.

“I decided I wanted to come back because I really was only getting better and I love gymnastics,” Lee said, according to the AP. “I was not ready to be done.”