Olympic gymnast Suni Lee took to the 2025 ESPY Awards red carpet with a gold sequin dress and an unexpected date.
The gymnastics star invited her physician, Dr. Marcia Faustin, to accompany her at the event on Wednesday, July 16. Faustin has been treating Lee’s incurable kidney condition, according to People.
Speaking to ESPN’s SportsCenter co-hosts, Lee, 22, said, “I’m so excited, it’s her first time on a red carpet. So it’s really fun for the both of us. But she was the one person who actually believed in me whenever I was going through everything.”
Lee would go on to win the award for Best Comeback Athlete that same night. During her acceptance speech, she made sure to acknowledge Faustin.
“To Dr. Marcia Faustin, she’s actually here in the crowd with me today,” Lee said, prompting cheers from the audience. “Thank you for guiding me through the toughest moments, reading every scan and report by my side.”
Faustin is a specialist in family and sports medicine and teaches as an assistant clinical professor at UC Davis. She also holds roles as co-head team physician for both UC Davis Division I athletics and the USA Gymnastics women’s national team.
Lee was forced to end her career as a college gymnast at Auburn University when she received her kidney disease diagnosis in 2023. She made a return to the sports world at the 2024 Paris Olympics, where she added three more medals to her name despite her health challenges.
The award-winning athlete recently spoke to Sephora in an interview, unsure if her career would take her to the Olympic Games in 2028.
“I already did two, I feel like I don’t need to do another one…but I do feel like I have more to prove to myself,” she said.
