Suni Lee found herself battling self-doubt.
Lee, an Olympic gold medal gymnast in the all-around, spoke to The Post on behalf of Clif Bar and the VOICEINSPORT Foundation, which seeks to support women in closing the opportunity gap in sports.
Lee has been competing at Auburn University, and told ESPN this past March about a bout with “imposter syndrome” that she was facing.
The Post asked Lee, 19, how she has been working through that.
“I think just getting in the gym and training more, and kind of realizing the kind of athlete that I am,” she said. “Last year I was putting a lot of pressure on myself because I was coming off the Olympics, and I didn’t really see the full potential in myself. I was just going off where I was at that moment, and I wasn’t where I was supposed to be yet.”
Suni Lee wins the gold medal in all-around gymnastics in Tokyo.Getty ImagesLee, who recently announced this would be her final season at Auburn as she sets her sights on preparing for the 2024 Olympics in Paris, said she is taking things one day at a time.
“So now I’m just kind of taking it day by day, trying not to read all the things I see about myself, and just kind of realizing that I’m the only person that can do this and I’m the only person that has worked my whole life for this,” she said.
Suni Lee competes in Olympics in Tokyo.Getty ImagesThe Post spoke to Lee about a number of other topics; this interview has been edited for clarity.
NY Post: If you could have a dinner with yourself and three other people — athletes, celebrities, politicians, etc. — who would it be?
Suni Lee: Hailey Bieber, Justin Bieber and Serena Williams.
Where would you want that dinner to be?
I know Justin Bieber’s favorite restaurant is Il Pastaio …
What do you do for fun, when you have free time aside from practice, school and commercial responsibilities?
I love shopping. I shop a lot and spend a lot of money. I also love to hang out with my friends and family because I don’t really get to spend a lot of time with them because I’m always in the gym.
Suni Lee spoke to The Post on behalf of Clif Bar and the VOICEINSPORT Foundation.Clif BarWhen I’m at Auburn, I love going to football and basketball games and supporting all my friends.
If you could accomplish anything else in the rest of your life, what would it be?
To go to another Olympics, win another gold medal and just be happy and successful.
You grew up in the North. What’s it like living in the South?
It’s so different — the way that people dress, the way that they talk. The weather’s even different. I grew up in Minnesota, so I’m always surrounded by snow in the winter. When I was at Auburn last year, I was like, “This is so weird not having snow on the ground, being able to walk around in shorts the whole year.” — but I love it.
Suni Lee has been competing in gymnastics at Auburn in between Olympics.Clif BarWhat songs are you listening to on repeat right now?
I’ve been listening to Drake’s new album, and I’ve really been liking that. I’ve also been listening to Taylor Swift’s new album — and anything on the radio.
What’s your favorite flavor of Clif Bar?
My favorite flavor is chocolate chip, and I also love the Iced Oatmeal Cookie Z bars. I eat them on a daily basis and use them at practice whenever I need energy.
I am very excited to work with them and the VOICEINSPORT Foundation at a time that is critical to provide women with time and resources to support their journey in sports, and their education on the importance of Title IX, given this year is Title IX’s 50th anniversary.
