The Paris Olympics are in the rearview for Suni Lee. This year, she posed for Ben Horton in Boca Raton, Florida, for the 2025 SI Swimsuit issue, then hit the runway at an SI show alongside Gabby Thomas and Jordan Chiles. These days, she’s also an ambassador for the American Kidney Fund, using her voice to shine a light on chronic illness and standing as a symbol of strength and representation. And gymnastics? Well… that’s the big question, isn’t it?

On March 15, Suni gave fans a peek at her gym comeback on Instagram. In the clip, she was on the uneven bars, going for a Jaeger release—a bold move that demands precision, power, and complete trust in her grip. The video cut off before the dismount, leaving everyone guessing if she nailed it. Perfect or not, one thing was obvious—getting back wasn’t easy. Her caption said it all: “I caught the first Yeager I tried… my shoulders are doneeee for after this.” Greatness, it seems, comes with a price—aching shoulders, burning muscles, and a kind of exhaustion only champions know. But she was game for it. After all, it’s about her love for the sport. Still, with the engagement, something else had crept in—impostor syndrome. And that’s another story.

Suni Lee recently sat down with Olympics.com to chat about her gymnastics journey, and of course, the topic of impostor syndrome came up. Her answer? Pure honesty. “I think I am finally understanding how good of a gymnast I am,” she said. “All of the hard work that I did, definitely does pay off, and that I do deserve this and I deserve to be happy. All of the opportunities that I’ve been able to get have been so amazing.” It’s a far cry from the days when people questioned whether she truly had what it takes on the mat.

Four years ago, Suni Lee stood on top of the Olympic podium as the all-around champion. But in the aftermath, she began battling anxiety and impostor syndrome. “I feel like after the Olympics, there’s just been so much doubt in like, ‘Oh, she shouldn’t have won Olympics, blah, blah, blah,’ and it really hits my soul,” the Minnesota native told ESPN. “I think I just put in my head that I didn’t deserve to win.” Simone Biles’s absence from that event only made the feelings worse. “Like impostor syndrome,” she said. “That’s exactly what I have. And it’s very hard. It was very hard for me to motivate myself the first couple of weeks here because it was like I didn’t want to do gymnastics, I hated it.” But now? That’s a different chapter.

Suni now finds herself rubbing shoulders with some of the biggest names in gymnastics—and still getting starstruck. “Even when certain people know me, and I’m like, I literally go up to them, I’m like. Oh my, like, you know. I am like, ‘That’s so creepy, but it’s just really funny to be,’” she told Olympics.com. It’s been a big shift for the 22-year-old over the past few years. But she’s far from the only gymnast who’s had to wrestle with impostor syndrome.

Suni Lee’s gymnastics mate faced a similar issue

Back in 2013, a young Simone Biles stepped onto the world stage for the very first time at the World Artistic Gymnastics Championships. She lit up the competition, earning the highest all-around score and walking away with four medals. To the world, she was a rising star. But inside? Simone felt out of place. “I definitely didn’t think I belonged there because I was with world champions,” Simone Biles admitted. Unknown to many, the future GOAT was wrestling with impostor syndrome, even as she stood among the best. Still, she faced it head-on—and beat it.

Fast forward to the Paris Olympics, and the roles had flipped. This time, it was Simone helping Suni Lee fight her own battle with self-doubt. Suni told Olympics.com, “Simone was like, ‘You need to realise who you are! You won this gold medal because you are an amazing athlete!’” Those words hit deep, giving Suni the push she needed to stand tall when it mattered most.