Back in 2023, Suni Lee woke up one morning with swollen ankles and did not think too much of it at first. But the next day, her face, hands and legs were swollen too, and she knew something was wrong. The swelling even made it hard for her to grip the uneven bars during practice. Doctors initially struggled to find the reason, but Lee trusted her instincts and kept speaking up when she felt something was not right. She eventually learned that she was dealing with two rare kidney diseases. Now, years later, Lee is sharing more about that difficult time and how listening to her body and advocating for herself helped her get the answers she needed.

Lee, who announced her return to gymnastics in July 2026, shared a new video on Instagram on September 30 while getting ready. The post was made as part of a paid partnership with Biogen and focused on rare kidney disease awareness.  “I just started training again, so I figured it would be a good idea to talk about how important it is to take care of your body,” Lee said. “Listening to your intuition is so important because it literally saved my life.”

For Lee, that intuition became important when she first noticed that her body was changing. She said she could not explain exactly what felt different, but she knew that something was wrong. One day, she suddenly woke up feeling extremely heavy and noticed a lot of water retention. “I took myself to the doctor and they told me that nothing was wrong, so I just trusted my intuition, and I advocated for myself,” she said.

That experience was especially frightening because Lee had always considered herself healthy. She said she did not understand what was happening to her and could not control the changes she was seeing in her body. The uncertainty also affected her emotionally, especially as she watched her appearance change from one day to the next.

“Luckily, I had such an amazing support system that helped me with my mental health, just making sure that I wasn’t letting social media affect me as much because I did look different waking up every single day, like not really recognizing who I was,” Lee said.  Her comments echo what she has previously shared about the early stages of her kidney disease.

In a 2025 Women’s Health essay, Lee recalled going from one doctor to another before finally getting the testing that gave her an answer. A kidney biopsy eventually confirmed that she had two rare kidney diseases. She has not publicly disclosed the specific names of those conditions. The health battle had a major impact on her gymnastics career. Lee’s 2023 NCAA season at Auburn ended early as she dealt with the condition, and for a period, she feared she might never be able to compete again. She later returned to elite gymnastics and made her way back to the Olympic stage in Paris.

Now, as she begins another chapter in her career, Lee says the experience has taught her to speak up even when she does not have all the answers. “It definitely taught me that even when it’s uncomfortable or you don’t even have the words for it, it’s important to speak up for yourself,” she said. That message has also become part of why Lee wants to talk more openly about kidney disease.

“Raising awareness to diseases is so important to me because I know that if I felt alone, other people do too and all I want is to be able to help somebody else out,” Lee said. “Always remember that you’re not alone and that I’m always here for you,” Lee told her followers. After everything she went through with her health, Lee has now found a way to manage her condition while returning to the sport that once seemed impossible to continue.

Suni Lee finds her way back to gymnastics

After winning three medals at the 2024 Paris Olympics, Lee stepped away from competitive gymnastics and gave herself time away from the pressure of the sport. She did not immediately begin preparing for another Olympic cycle, instead taking a break and focusing on life outside the gym. 

In 2025, Lee spent much of her time in New York City, experiencing a life that had little to do with daily gymnastics training. She attended fashion events, worked on beauty campaigns and spent more time creating content, enjoying experiences she had rarely been able to make time for during her competitive career. However, the lure of gymnastics never fully left her mind.

On July 14, 2026, Lee finally made her decision public announcing her return with a video captioned, “I’m back.” In the video, she made it clear that she was not returning simply because another Olympics was approaching. “I know what I’m capable of. I’m willing to do whatever it takes to get there,” Lee said, setting the tone for a comeback built around finding out just how much she still has left.

Her comeback is now aimed at the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics, which would give Lee the chance to compete at her third Olympic Games. “She wants to see what she can do when she gets a full amount of prep time,” Graba said. He also stressed that the goal is for Lee to be “as healthy as she can be” during the build-up to LA28. And that may be what makes this comeback different from everything Lee has done before.