Who Was Suni Lee's Red Carpet Date at the 2025 ESPYs?

The Team USA gymnast was nominated alongside hockey star Gabe Landeskog, soccer forward Mallory Swanson and Olympic skier Lindsey Vonn. Ultimately, Lee’s triumphant return to gymnastics following a life-changing health battle made her the night’s standout.

“Winning this award means so much more than I can say,” Lee said while accepting the ESPY. “When I was diagnosed with two rare kidney diseases, I was told I would never compete again. But I refused to believe that.”

Her journey has been nothing short of inspiring. In 2023, Lee was sidelined from gymnastics after being diagnosed with multiple kidney diseases. The uncertainty of whether she’d ever return to the sport led her to leave Auburn University, where she was competing at the collegiate level. But she never gave up.

Her comeback story began in earnest when she returned to elite competition in time for the 2024 Paris Olympics, winning three medals — gold in the team event, and two individual bronze medals in uneven bars and the all-around.

On stage at the ESPYs, Lee used her moment not only to thank her family and supporters but to spotlight Faustin, the co-head physician of the U.S. women’s national gymnastics team. 

“I’m so proud we never took ‘no’ for an answer,” she said to Faustin. “Never, ever underestimate a girl who is determined to prove her worth to herself.”

Beyond her athletic career, Lee has been embracing life with newfound confidence. Since Paris, she’s appeared in the 2025 Sports Illustrated Swimsuit issue, modeled in Boca Raton alongside other Olympians and has explored interests outside of gymnastics, like skiing and even golfing — although she joked on Instagram that she’ll “stick to gymnastics” after a mis-hit in Thailand.