Olympic gymnastics all-around champion Suni Lee revealed that at the height of dealing with a kidney disease last year, she questioned whether a return to top form was even possible.
“My motivation started to fall,” Lee said this week at the Team USA media summit.
“I could not bend my legs the slightest, I couldn’t squeeze my fingers, my face was swollen,” Lee said, noting she retained 45 pounds in water weight. “I looked like a completely different person. It was very, very miserable.”
She said she lived with constant pain, nausea and lightheadedness.
“We have it under control now,” she said. “We know what to do and the right medication to take.”
The then-18-year-old Lee was thrust into the spotlight at the Tokyo Games when teammate and reigning Olympic champion Simone Biles unexpectedly dropped out in the middle of the team final, citing her mental health. Lee hadn’t been in the original lineup for the U.S. team’s floor exercise but scored a team-best 13.666 to help the Americans claim a silver medal.
Kate Hudson hits the stage to debut songs from her new album Glorious at star
Rory McIlroy pulls within shot of Xander Schauffele in Wells Fargo Championship
Chennai Super Kings stay in contention for IPL playoffs with 5
Teoscar Hernández hits a grand slam and Paxton pitches 6 strong innings as Dodgers beat Padres 5
Revealed: Brit tourist, 19, subjected to sex attack in Majorca 'was gang
Cannes Film Festival is set to kick off. What you need to know
Jessica Biel shows off her new blonde hair and casual
Pentagon vows to keep weapons moving to Ukraine as Kyiv faces a renewed assault by Russia
US aims to stay ahead of China in using AI to fly fighter jets
Russian theater director and playwright go on trial over a play authorities say justifies terrorism
Republican Vermont Gov. Phil Scott is running for reelection to 5th term