Sunisa Lee has had a terrific year so far with her grand comeback and gold medal-winning performances at the Paris Olympics. Her resilience and strength set the bar high for many who looked up to her as a role model. And now, she finally got to meet one of the few stars she looked up to, and she was starstruck!
At a recent event organized by Glamour, dedicated to some of the most significant women this year, Lee met up with popstar Beyoncé. The duo made it to the list of ‘Women of the Year’ that the magazine had previously issued, and to say that the starry-eyed gymnast was surprised would be an understatement.
Videos of the two greeting each other excitedly, exchanging words of encouragement and celebration, have been doing rounds on the internet. The singer-songwriter was overjoyed to see the Olympian, complimenting her for her achievements. Eventually, they happily hugged each other and moved on as cameras flashed and captured the iconic moment.
Lee shared the video on her X, revealing how she was still shocked about the interaction. The unbelievable moment left her breathless as she came to terms with the fact that she met one of the biggest pop icons.
u guyyssss i cannot breathe stop https://t.co/wTgdrID007
— Sunisa lee (@sunisalee_) October 9, 2024
Later, the gymnast also put up a picture of them on her Instagram story, as they struck a pose for the camera. It’s safe to say that the moment etched itself in Lee’s memory as a once-in-a-lifetime meeting.
How Lee survived all odds to make it to the top
This year has been a redemption tour not just for Simone Biles but for Lee and the other members of the Olympic team as well. The 21-year-old gymnast, who recently won her fifth Olympic medal, almost ended her journey with the sport.
Lee found out that she had not one but two rare kidney diseases that put her body at risk. After gaining about 40 pounds and getting a final diagnosis, doctors told her to bid adieu to gymnastics.
However, instead of giving up, Lee pushed herself to try out whatever she could muster up on the vault one step at a time. She worked with her coaches to tweak her routines to suit her strength and capacity and eventually got back on track. Since then, not only has she spoken up about the story of resilience, but she has also been a fierce advocate for kidney health.
