Suni Lee Admits to Having Emotional Breakdown During Year-Long Break From Gymnastics

The lights of Tokyo once shimmered on Suni Lee’s face as she stood atop the Olympic podium, her gold medal heavy with triumph. And just three years later, in Paris, she wrapped up her second Olympic appearance with grace and grit. But after years of living in the relentless rhythm of elite gymnastics, Lee did something unfamiliar—she slowed down. She stepped back from the beam and bars, not because she had to, but because she needed to. The world had seen her soar, but Lee needed time to breathe. So what happens when the applause fades and the chalk dust settles?

The answer, for Lee, lies somewhere between the towering skyline of New York City and the cozy familiarity of her Minnesota home. “I think I’ll see myself in New York for a while. I really, truly just love it here,” she told Olympics.com. That city hum—the fashion, the art, the anonymity- offered her a taste of freedom.

Yet, there’s a pull she can’t ignore. “But also 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 sad,” she admitted.

So what fills the space where gymnastics used to be?

That question sent Lee into an emotional spiral. “I had this really big breakdown because I was like, ‘I don’t know what’s going on now. Like, what am I supposed to do with my life without gymnastics?” She said, describing the emotional confusion of rediscovering herself. For a girl who grew up on strict schedules and world-stage routines, the blank slate felt terrifying and thrilling.

Now, she’s charting new routines, just not on a balance beam. Lee is dipping into fashion, acting, and entrepreneurship, exploring what it means to be Suni, not just Suni the gymnast. Her aspirations are clear. “A big goal for me, I think, would be to build my brand and then also give back to the communities as much as possible.”

So while she may no longer be flipping for gold, Suni Lee is still finding her footing in stilettos, boardrooms, and somewhere between Madison Avenue and her childhood home. Will she find balance in this new life the same way she did on a four-inch beam? Meanwhile, what has she been doing in the meantime?

Suni Lee’s ESPYS moment was a comeback crowned.

Well, on July 16, under the golden lights of the Dolby Theatre, Suni Lee stepped onto a stage far removed from balance beams and uneven bars. This time, she wasn’t chasing scores or medals; she was being celebrated. Honored with the Best Comeback Athlete award at the 2025 ESPYS, Lee’s story was no longer just one of Olympic excellence; it was one of sheer survival and personal grit.

“Winning this award means so much more than I can say,” the six-time Olympic medallist began, her voice steady but emotional. Diagnosed with two rare kidney diseases, Lee had once been told she’d never compete again. But giving in to that fate was never in her DNA. “I refused to believe that,” she said, a quiet fire in her tone.

The road back wasn’t paved in glory. “There were days when I felt scared, defeated, and alone,” she confessed. Yet, she clung to her support system, her parents, her doctors, her coaches, finding strength in the people who refused to let her fall.

But ultimately, the fight came from within. Lee called herself “a girl who is determined to prove her worth to herself”, a mission far tougher than winning gold.

So what comes after a comeback crowned on Hollywood’s biggest sports stage?