Auburn Tigers Olympic Gymnast Suni Lee Makes SI Swimsuit Debut

A highlight of her move to New York has been the ability to branch out into other passions beyond the realm of athletics.

“Moving to New York has been a really big adjustment, but also getting more into the fashion world has been so surreal. But also, this is the first time I've really taken a break from gymnastics. So diving into something other than that has. Been really, really different, but also probably the best experience of my life.” 

It’s important to find new passions outside of sports. This is not something Lee is alone in, as many athletes are faced with finding an identity outside of sports and competitions that have defined their lives from a young age. 

Even though they have to leave what they love behind fully, it’s good to have other things to latch onto. If Lee continues to dive into fashion, it’s something she can continue to explore for the next several decades of her life. 

She’s also been exploring all the food that New York has to offer and embracing the built-in privacy that the city has. 

“My favorite part about living in New York would have to be all of the amazing food spots. There's just so much, and like they close so late, you can always go. But also the people, like no one cares about anything. They always mind their business, and I always feel so comfortable whenever I walk out in the streets.”

In 2021 alone, she was named SI’s Female Sports Athlete of the Year and was one of Time Magazine’s 100 most influential that year for her eclectic performance at the Tokyo Summer Olympics. She became the first Asian American to win the Gold Medal for the Olympic All-Around. 

After her first trip to the Olympics, she took her talent to the Plains, joining Auburn Gymnastics for two seasons. She became the sixth Auburn gymnast ever to record a perfect 10, a feat she would achieve eight times. 

Two of her perfect 10s came in one meet in 2023 against Alabama. 

Lee chose to depart from Auburn with the aspiration of returning to the Olympics in 2024. Ahead of her second season, she put out a message describing what it meant to be an Auburn Tiger.  

She did ultimately reach Paris, but it would take overcoming a lot of sudden adversity. She was diagnosed with a kidney disease that cut her final season at Auburn short, and she had to step away from training for a time. 

By the end of 2023, she was back to competing while still overcoming her condition. Come the 2024 Paris Games, Lee won two bronze medals (All-Around, Uneven Bars) and a gold (Team All-Around). 

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