“I never wanted the money or the fame” – Suni Lee shares honest feelings on chasing her Olympic dreams

Olympic champion gymnast Suni Lee recently shared her feelings about chasing her Olympic dreams. The 22-year-old gymnast opened up about her career in a recent podcast session conducted by the Ha sisters.

Suni Lee attended the ‘Haha podcast’ conducted by Evelyn Ha and her sisters Erica and Emily. She revealed that she didn’t pursue her Olympic dream for money or fame, but for the sheer passion of representing the nation at the Olympics.

Suni Lee explained why she pursued her Olympic dream as she remarked,

“I just like, I never wanted the money or the fame. Like, I just wanted to go to the Olympics, because I loved gymnastics so much, and that was always my dream, but like, I didn’t want anything that came after it.” [40:17 onwards]

The Olympic champion gymnast further added,

“So now, it’s like, it’s just crazy to see where doing flips can take you. Yeah, I didn’t know what I was doing, and like, I was just so new to everything, plus I was really shy. Like, I’m already really shy, but I just, I didn’t say anything.”

Suni Lee has won a total of six Olympic medals in her six-year-long career. She won three Olympic medals [including one gold medal] at the 2024 Paris Olympics.

When Suni Lee addressed the rumors about her retirement

Suni Lee previously addressed the rumors about her retirement from gymnastics. The 22-year-old gymnast hasn’t participated in a major gymnastics event since the 2024 Paris Olympics.

Though she didn’t confirm on her retirement, Lee mentioned in an interview conducted by Sephora magazine around June 2025,

“I already did two. Like I feel like I don’t need to do another one. But also there is a part of me where I feel like I still have so much left, not to prove to everybody else, but to myself.” (8:53 onwards)

Sunisa ‘Suni’ Lee had almost quit gymnastics by 2023 due to a rare kidney disease that compelled her to leave collegiate gymnastics, where she represented the Auburn Tigers. However, the gymnast made a strong comeback when she qualified for the Paris Olympics.

Suni Lee not only contributed to Team USA’s gold medal in the women’s team all-around event but also won two individual bronze medals in the women’s individual all-around event and the women’s uneven bars event. Lee would’ve equaled Simone Biles’ tally in the women’s balance beam event, if not for an unfortunate fall that made her finish sixth overall in the finals, just behind her teammate and gymnastics sensation, Simone Biles.