Olympic gold medalistSunisa Leehas announced she will end her college career at Auburn early due to a kidney issue.
TheTeam USAgymnast, 20, shared a health update today onTwitterandInstagram, explaining that she has been suffering a “non-gymnastics related issue involving my kidneys.”
Lee, the first-everHmong-American Olympic gold medalistsaid Auburn’s medical team did not clear her to train over the past few weeks for her own safety. “I am blessed and thankful to be working with the best specialized medical team to treat and manage my diagnosis. My focus at this time is my health and recovery,” the athlete said.
Lee, 20, had been competing forAuburnin the NCAA since Jan. 2021, but the health issue means her collegiate career is now over.
“It’s been challenging to end my Auburn career early, but I am thankful for all of the love and support,” she said on Twitter, adding: “I want to especially thank my doctors, coaches and the Auburn medical staff for their care during this time.”
Lee, who was theToyko Olympics all-around gymnastics champion, said she was proud of her Auburn team for their “determination and resilience this season.” She added, “Auburn, thank you for the best two years of my life and for giving me the opportunity to make history alongside this amazing group. I am forever grateful for this community.”
And while the health setback has derailed Lee’s college career, she still has her eyes set on competing in the nextOlympics. “I will not stop pursuing my dreams for a bid to Paris in 2024. In fact, this experience has sharpened my vision for the future,” Lee said.
Lee finished her social media announcement with the phrase “War eagle,” the Alabama school’sbattle cry.
Suni Lee.C. Morgan Engel/NCAA Photos via Getty
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The Minneapolis athlete had alreadyannounced in Novemberthat this would be her last season in college gymnastics.
In a video shared on social media at the time, she said: “Today I am sharing a decision that has weighed on me a really long time,” the Dancing with the Stars alum said in the video. “As an athlete that has competed at the highest level on the world’s biggest stage I’ve been fortunate enough to experience that once-in-a-lifetime feeling and the indescribable emotion when the gold medal is draped around your neck. But I don’t want it to just be once in a lifetime.”
Suni Lee.Jamie Squire/Getty
The gymnast shared that competing for Auburn University was a dream of hers and that she had learned so much about “myself, true teamwork and about community during my time here.”
Speaking to PEOPLE prior to theTokyo Olympicsabout what it meant to represent the USA and compete at an elite level, Lee said: “I want to do it for my family and coaches obviously, but I also want to do it for myself. I’ve just been through so much.”
After the stunning win in Tokyo, Lee told reporters: “Coming into this competition, I didn’t even think that I could be competing for a gold medal,” she said. “I was coming to compete for a silver medal. To be here, it’s crazy.”
source: people.com
