Suni Lee’s life changed when she was diagnosed with kidney disease in early 2023, which forced her to stop training. But then in early 2024, she was cleared by doctors to return to the gym, which led her to the Paris Olympics, where she took 3 medals. However, one thing stayed with her: her beam routine, which ended with a fall, leaving her wanting another chance. At that time, Lee told coach Jess Graba she wanted an Olympic run in 2028. He initially thought she was joking, but now understands the real reason behind her comeback.

On July 14, Lee officially announced her comeback to gymnastics after nearly two years away from elite competition following the Paris Olympics. Graba, who has coached Lee since she was around six years old at Midwest Gymnastics in Minnesota, believes her decision is about finding out what she can achieve with a full Olympic preparation.

“I think the goals, for the most part, are she wants to see what she can do when she gets a full amount of prep time and as healthy as she can be,” Graba said. “The COVID (pandemic) in Tokyo, and then with the kidney issue going into Paris, I think it just felt like, for her maybe, she had more in the tank she didn’t get to show.”

And now, as Lee will return to training at Midwest Gymnastics in Little Canada, Minnesota, where Graba and Ali Lim have guided her since she was a young gymnast. Graba said watching Lee choose to chase another Olympic dream means a lot to him. He said, “She’s already given the sport everything, so for her to walk back through these doors and go after 2028 on her own terms, with our whole team behind her, it means the world.”

He added, “To see her decide 100% is, I think, a little surprising, but also a little bit of a relief because we need enough time to get ready,” Graba said. “So if this is going to be it, then it’s good that she made up her mind at this point.”

Lee’s possible Olympic comeback also comes with more time than her Paris journey. Before the 2024 Games, she had only around seven months of serious preparation after her kidney illness forced her away from gymnastics. Despite that limited time, she still managed to win three Olympic medals. This time, if she continues toward Los Angeles 2028, she will have a much longer runway, almost 1.5 years, to rebuild her strength and prepare.

For now, Lee’s focus is returning to training, with Graba saying they likely will not think about competition until spring 2027. While Graba believes Lee is not only focused on results, he knows there is one goal that still feels unfinished from her first two Olympics: winning a balance beam medal.

At the Paris 2024 Olympics balance beam final, Lee had a heartbreaking moment after an otherwise successful Games. She started her routine strongly, but during a tumbling series, she lost her balance and fell off the beam. She ended the final in sixth place with a score of 13.100. The same thing happened to her in the Tokyo Olympics, where she finished fifth.

“She felt like she was a medalist on beam, and we didn’t get one,” Graba said. “So I think she’d like to rectify that.” But Suni Lee’s comeback journey has been possible because of the support she received from the people around her, especially Jess Graba, who has stood by her through every major challenge of her career.

Jess Graba helped Suni Lee overcome pressure

After winning the Tokyo 2020 Olympic all-around gold medal, Suni Lee suddenly faced the pressure of being an Olympic champion. She admitted that the expectations became overwhelming and that she felt nervous about proving herself again when she returned to elite competition in 2023.

That support was clear during her return at the 2023 Core Hydration Classic, which marked Lee’s first elite competition after her kidney-related illnesses. At that time, Graba did not tell her the exact score she needed to qualify because he did not want her to become overwhelmed. He instead concentrated on enabling her to perform safely.

Even before that comeback began, Graba had been there during Lee’s toughest moment. When Lee woke up with major swelling in her face, hands and legs in early 2023, Graba was one of the first people she turned to. After seeing that something was wrong, he helped her figure out the next steps. Suni later described her bond with Graba, saying: “He’s basically like my dad and we’re super, super close. He’s always been there throughout the whole journey.”

During her illness, Lee feared she might never compete again. She revealed, “My doctor was telling me he didn’t think I’d be able to do gymnastics ever again.” Through that difficult period, Graba helped Lee slowly rebuild her confidence and trust in her body.