Paris 2024 wasn’t just about medals for Suni Lee, it was about survival. Behind the dazzling leotards and spotlight routines, Lee was silently grappling with a painful kidney condition that once threatened to derail not just her Olympic dreams, but her everyday life. The Tokyo all-around champion stepped onto the Paris stage with a smile, but it masked the storm raging inside her. Yet through it all, a familiar voice echoed louder than the rest. Who was it?

Well, before competition began, Simone Biles pulled Lee aside—not as a teammate, but as someone who understood the weight of silent battles. “Simone was like, ‘You need to realise who you are! You won this gold medal because you are an amazing athlete,’ Lee recalled. “She’s like, ‘You need to stand on that and believe in that and go out there and compete and act like it.’” Lee shared with Olympics.com. It was more than a pep talk. For Lee, it was an anchor—an emotional reset.

That message stuck with her. With Biles’ words still ringing in her ears, Lee walked into each event in Paris differently, shoulders back, gaze steady, a quiet confidence growing with every step. The competition wasn’t just against the apparatus, it was against her own body. And team USA emerged as the winner, clinching Gold at Paris.  So, how did she manage to still shine?

Well, Lee finds herself as “thriving,” a word that once felt out of reach when hospital visits became routine. She still receives infusions to manage the lingering symptoms of her condition, but the dark cloud has lifted. “My body feels great. I wake up every single day, not in pain, and I don’t have to really worry about anything,” she shared. “It’s just very different now. It’s a lot more controllable, and I’m in a very good system. It’s good.”

Without the relentless pressure of elite daily training, Suni Lee has rediscovered joy, in movement, in health, and in herself. Her Olympic teammates, she says, are thriving too. But perhaps none more profoundly than Lee, who fought a battle unseen and emerged stronger, steadier, and more self-assured.

And at the center of her quiet revival? A moment of truth from Simone Biles, a champion, reminding another what it means to truly stand tall.

Suni Lee balances stardom and sisterhood while dreaming big in New York

Well, in the bright lights of New York City, Olympic champion Suni Lee is carving out a life far beyond the uneven bars. Since stepping away from full-time elite gymnastics, Lee has embraced a new rhythm, one that balances ambition with homegrown humility. “I think I see myself in New York for a while. I really, truly just love it here,” she said, her voice filled with affection for the city’s pulse. Yet, for all the skyscrapers and spotlight, her heart still tugs in another direction.

That pull comes from her roots in Minnesota. Every trip home brings emotional weight. “There’s the aspect of like me wanting to move home, just to be closer to family… every time I go and see [my siblings], they’re a lot bigger than they were before, and it makes me really sad,” she shared. The comment reflects a deeper struggle—balancing career growth with the irreplaceable moments missed back home.

Still, Lee isn’t standing still. She’s thinking beyond medals, with clear goals in mind. “A big goal for me, I think, would be to build my brand and then also giving back to the communities as much as possible,” she explained.

So, how does the Olympic star plan to merge fame, family, and philanthropy in this next chapter?