Heavy/ABC A DWTS alum had to make a difficult decision.
Suni Lee spoke out about her health issues and her decision to nearly end her gymnastics career.
The 20-year-old Olympic gold medalist, who competed on “Dancing With the Stars” in 2021, shared details on the incurable kidney disease was diagnosed with and how it spawned her decision to decline an invite to the U.S. team selection camp for the world championships last fall.
“It was really scary and really, really heartbreaking,” Lee told E! News in December 2023.”I definitely went through a little bit of a mental spiral because gymnastics is my outlet and it’s my safe space.”
Lee added that it was difficult for her being unable to practice gymnastics at all. “I really just had to sit in my bed and be sad because I couldn’t do anything,” she said. “I could barely move, I couldn’t fit into my clothes and it was just so scary.”
She added that seeing her life without gymnastics in it “was a scary thing.” She is now hoping to compete in the Olympics in Paris in 2024. “I learned that nothing’s going to stop me,” she said. “I’m at the point where I’m like, ‘I just want to make it there. If I can make it there with everything going on, that’s going to be as special as winning a gold medal.”
Suni Lee Revealed She Was Diagnosed With Kidney Disease Earlier in 2023
Lee previously spoke about her disease in an interview with USA Today where she revealed she gained 45 pounds in one year. “In the beginning, it was like I was waking up swollen,” she explained. “My fingers were so swollen they wouldn’t fit into my grips and I couldn’t hold on to the bar. My whole body was swollen because I was retaining water, so I couldn’t do a flip.”
She told the outlet that on her “good days” she takes advantage of what she is able to do physically. “And on the bad days I just do basics and try and stay as safe as possible,” she added.
Suni Lee Fell Ill While Competing on DWTS in 2021
ABCSuni Lee & Sasha Farber
When Lee competed on “Dancing With the Stars” in November 2021, fans saw her exit the stage holding her stomach following a dance with pro partner Sasha Farber. She did return to the show later in the night to compete in a relay dance.
But Farber told Us Weekly it was a difficult week all around. “The poor girl started to feel really sick on Tuesday, and it got worse and worse,” he said of Lee, adding that he had to dance with a mannequin during rehearsals.
“Right before the dance started … we were standing in the tunnel, and she just kinda, like, 10 seconds in, vomited in her mouth and tears started to come out and she started walking away, saying, like, ‘No, I can’t do it.’ I was like, ‘Suni, you’ve got this. Come on. This is game time,’” Farber said. “And she turned around and she was, like, holding it in, and she held it in for a minute 35 and then the second the dance was over, she ran to a trashcan.”
Farber said Lee knew she’d regret it if she bailed on the dance, so she powered through. “I’m just so proud to be dancing with such a warrior,” he added at the time.
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