“Didn’t want to do gymnastics” – Sunisa Lee describes battle with impostor syndrome after Tokyo 2020 gold

“Didn’t want to do gymnastics” – Sunisa Lee describes battle with impostor syndrome after Tokyo 2020 gold

Sunisa Lee

Olympic gold medalist Sunisa Lee didn’t undergo the easiest transition to the gymnastics team at Auburn after winning gold at Tokyo 2022 last year.

In a recent media interview, the teen gymnast opened up about the mental health struggles she has faced since competing in the Games, including anxiety and impostor syndrome.

“I feel like, after the Olympics, there’s just been so much doubt in like, ‘Oh, she shouldn’t have won Olympics, blah, blah, blah,’ and it really hits my soul,” Lee, who turned 19 last week, told ESPN in an interview published on Tuesday.

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Lee, who grew up in Minnesota, won gold in the gymnastics all-around competition in Tokyo, apart from silver in the team event and bronze in the uneven bars. She commenced her college career at Auburn University after the Tokyo Summer Olympics and has struggled with a lack of confidence since then.

“Like imposter syndrome — that’s exactly what I have. And it’s very hard. It was very hard for me to motivate myself the first couple of weeks here because it was like I didn’t want to do gymnastics, I hated it.”

“Would have anxiety attacks at the meets” 

Sunia Lee wins gold in women's individual all-around finals
Sunia Lee wins gold in women’s individual all-around finals

Lee went on to recall a time when she was preparing for a gymnastics meet earlier in the season. However, at one point, she began shaking and breathing heavily.

“I would have anxiety attacks at the meets,” Lee said about her Auburn debut. “Like the first couple of the meets of this season, I was a wreck because it was like constant screaming my name and like, ‘Suni, can you take a picture?’ or ‘Can you sign an autograph?’ while I’m trying to concentrate.”

“When everybody expects you to be good for Auburn, it’s really hard for me just mentally, because I already put so much pressure on myself that when I have that extra pressure stress added on to it, I just kind of break,” she added.

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