St. Paul gymnast Suni Lee struggled to put her feelings into words on Sunday night at Target Center in Minneapolis. She met with reporters roughly 45 minutes after being selected to compete for Team USA at the 2024 Summer Olympics in Paris and joked that she hadn’t stopped crying yet.
“It’s insane,” Lee said. “I can’t believe that I’m here.”
The fact that she’s headed back to the Olympics is a testament to her mental toughness. After being diagnosed with an incurable kidney disease last year, Lee admitted that she seriously considered walking away from gymnastics for good. She didn’t think she she would ever be the same, and while she still loved the sport at its core, she thought it might be time for her to move on to the next chapter.
Still, a little voice in her head kept bringing her back to Midwest Gymnastics in Little Canada, the only place she felt normal given everything going on in her life. It started as a reason to get out of bed in the morning. It turned into a challenge to get back to where she knew she belonged.
“I’m so glad that I never gave up,” Lee said. “I’ve learned that I’m a lot stronger than I think and that I am capable of anything if I put my mind to it.”
Though she wasn’t necessarily thinking about the Olympics in the early stages of her return, it wasn’t long before she started to push herself to do more. She got the green light from her doctors around Christmas and immediately told longtime coach Jess Graba that she wanted to start training with a purpose.
Suni Lee during the vault at the United States Women’s Olympic Gymnastics trials finals at the Target Center in Minneapolis on Sunday, June 30, 2024. (John Autey / Pioneer Press)
Together, Lee and Graba navigated the incurable kidney disease, figuring out a plan that worked while setting their sights on the Olympic Trials. Her confidence ebbed and flowed as she started to regain her form, and it wasn’t until she took first place on balance beam at the Core Hydration Classic a couple of months ago that she truly started to believe she might actually be good enough.
“I’m so glad that I had people around me who kept me motivated,” Lee said. “I wouldn’t be here without them.”
The culmination of her hard work came at the Olympic Trials over the weekend. Fittingly, the competition took place right across the river from where she grew up. She shook off the pressure of being the hometown hero and made herself indispensable for Team USA in the process.
“I was super, super nervous,” Lee said. “It was hard when I had to go up and everybody was screaming my name. I love it. I just got so freaked out in the beginning, like, ‘Oh my gosh. I didn’t know people actually liked me that much.’
As the competition unfolded, Lee shined under the bright lights, and it became more and more clear that she was headed back to the Olympics. She broke down crying as soon as it became official while her family shed tears of joy in the crowd.
It’s been a long road back for Lee. As proud as she is of herself, she also made it clear that she’s not done yet.
“I still think there’s more in the tank,” Lee said. “I’m never going to be satisfied.”
