Suni Lee announces end to her Auburn career, citing health issues

Gymnast Suni Lee has announced that her Auburn career is over. She had previously announced that the 2022-23 season would be her last.

Unfortunately, due to a health issue involving her kidneys, she is unable to continue her collegiate career. It’s an issue that she has been with for some time and is not related to gymnastics.

Suni Lee does, according to the announcement, want to remain focused on her health and recovery. She does also intend on pursuing a bid on the United States of America’s 2024 Olympic team, which will compete in Paris.

Lee made a name for herself at the 2020 Summer Olympics in Tokyo, where she won gold in the all-around, silver in the team competition, and bronze in the uneven bars. It was for that performance in the Olympics that she became a household name and went onto stardom that included doing things like Dancing with the Stars.

She is of Hmong descent and her success brought a lot of attention to this community, particularly around Saint Paul, Minnesota — where Lee is from. Her mother was a refugee. Lee’s father is paralyzed from the waist down due to an accident and has acted as an inspiration to her.

Shortly after the Olympics, Lee debuted at Auburn. There, she found success in competition, including scoring a perfect 10 in February on the bars.

On top of all that, Suni Lee had a ton of NIL success during her college career, signing multiple deals. Meanwhile, her On3 NIL Valuation is currently at $1.4 million. That’s 11th in the NIL 100 and second among gymnasts.

Allen Green on Suni Lee

When Suni Lee first went to Auburn, Allen Green was still the school’s athletic director. At the time, he was thrilled that Lee chose to come and make an impact on the Auburn community as an Olympic gold medalist.

“So many of us on our campuses interact with what we would call superstar student athletes. I’ve got the chance to get to know Suni. She’s an 18-year old. When I get a chance to talk to her, I won’t say she’s a kid because she’s had some worldly experiences, quite literally. But she’s a fantastic young person,” Greene said at the time.

“She’s what makes this industry special. People like her are why I like doing what I do.”