What Really Happened With Suni Lee Kidney Disease

Imagine waking up one day and your ankles are just... gone. Not missing, obviously, but swallowed up by swelling so intense you can’t even see the bone. That is exactly how it started for Suni Lee. Most of us saw her winning gold in Tokyo or lighting up the floor in Paris, but very few people actually saw the "miserable" reality of what happened in between. Honestly, the fact that she’s even walking, let alone flipping on a four-inch wooden beam, is kinda a medical miracle.

Suni Lee kidney disease isn't just one thing. It's actually two rare kidney diseases that hit her like a freight train in early 2023. At first, she thought it was just the brutal training at Auburn University. Maybe she was just sore? But then she gained 40 pounds of water weight almost overnight. Imagine your body suddenly feeling like it’s made of lead. Her fingers were so swollen she couldn't even grip the uneven bars.

She literally kept "peeling off" the bars because she couldn't squeeze her hands. It’s scary stuff.

👉 See also: Steve and Loreal Sarkisian: Why the Texas Power Couple is the Real Story Behind the Longhorns

The Diagnosis That Almost Ended It All

When the doctors first saw her, they thought it was just an allergic reaction. Standard stuff, right? But it didn't go away. After a kidney biopsy—which is basically a long needle going into your back to grab a piece of your organ—the truth came out. She had two incurable conditions. While she’s kept the specific names of the diseases private (mostly because the diagnosis could still shift), she has been very open about how "incurable" they are.

Basically, her kidneys stopped filtering waste and water correctly. Instead of getting rid of the junk, her body just held onto it.

Why it was so dangerous for a gymnast:

• Balance Issues: You can't stick a landing when your center of gravity changes daily due to fluid retention.
• Grip Strength: Swollen fingers mean you can't hold the bars safely.
• Fatigue: Kidney disease causes massive exhaustion. It’s not just "I’m tired"; it’s "I can’t get out of bed."
• Nausea and Lightheadedness: Not great when you're spinning in mid-air.

Her coaches, Jess Graba and Alison Lim, had never dealt with anything like this. How do you train an elite athlete when their weight fluctuates by five or ten pounds in 24 hours? They had to "monkey with the medication," as her coach put it, just to see if she could even make it through a warmup.

The Fight for Paris (and Remission)

By the time 2024 rolled around, things looked bleak. Suni had actually quit gymnastics for about six months. She was done. She was living back home in Minnesota, feeling like a "completely different person" because of the way the meds changed her face and body.

Then came January 4, 2024.

That’s the day her doctor called and told her the Suni Lee kidney disease was officially in remission. Her labs were stabilizing. The medication was working. She had roughly six months to get back to Olympic shape. For context, most gymnasts train for four years to get ready for an Olympics. She had a few months.

She spent those months fighting her own mind. She’s mentioned in interviews that she kept looking at old videos of herself and crying because she didn't think she was the "same Suni." But her coaches told her something better: She was a tougher Suni.

Where is Suni Lee Now?

As of 2026, Suni has moved to New York City and is living a life that isn't entirely consumed by the gym. She’s been doing the fashion thing, modeling, and honestly just breathing for a second. But the disease is still there. It’s "incurable," remember? Remission just means the symptoms are under control, not that the disease is gone.

She recently attended the 2025 ESPYs and took her kidney doctor, Dr. Marcia Faustin, as her date. She won the award for Best Comeback Athlete, and it wasn't just for the medals. It was for the days she couldn't even bend her knees.

What we can learn from Suni's health journey:

1. Advocate for yourself. If she had listened to the people who said it was "just allergies," she might be in kidney failure right now.
2. Lean on your circle. She credits Simone Biles and her teammates for "lifting her up" when she wanted to quit.
3. Adjust, don't just stop. She had to change her diet (low sodium is a big deal for kidney health) and modify her training schedule based on how she felt each morning.

If you’re dealing with a chronic illness, Suni’s story is basically a blueprint for not letting a diagnosis be the end of the book. She's now working with the American Kidney Fund to help other people catch these symptoms early. If your body is doing something weird—like massive swelling or extreme fatigue—don't ignore it. Get a second opinion.

Suni Lee proved that "remission" doesn't mean you're weak; it means you're a warrior who knows how to manage a battle. Whether she shows up for the LA 2028 Olympics or stays in NYC to conquer the fashion world, she’s already won the biggest fight of her life.

🔗 Read more: What's the score on the game today: Scores and results for January 15, 2026

Actionable Next Steps:
Check your own kidney health by asking for a simple uACR (urine albumin-to-creatinine ratio) or eGFR (estimated glomerular filtration rate) blood test during your next physical. These are the standard "kidney function" tests that catch issues long before you start swelling up. If you're feeling unusually fatigued or noticing puffiness in your face or ankles, don't wait—book a lab appointment this week.