Emily Lee’s little sister’s death drew her to health care at a young age.

The UCLA gymnastics senior’s affinity for a healing profession stems from a deeply personal experience that exposed her to the rigorous world of medicine.

“The biggest moment of wanting to enter the medical field was when I lost my sister to cancer really young,” Lee said.

Her 3-year-old sister’s fight with leukemia was brief, but it profoundly impacted then-12-year-old Lee’s grasp of medicine and resilience.

Lee was already immersed in her gymnastics training when her sister died. So for the time being, she set her medical aspirations aside to dive headfirst into the elite world.

Competing as an elite gymnast from 2016 to 2021, she represented the United States and won the all-around at the 2020 Gymnix Invitational and earned third in the Winter Cup in 2021. Despite her elite aspirations, Lee’s path to the NCAA was solidified early when she committed to UCLA in eighth grade.

However, a complete Achilles rupture while competing in the 2021 U.S. Olympic Trials unexpectedly cut her elite career short.

Lee’s freshman season was far from what she had envisioned. She joined the Bruins post-surgery – unable to walk – and sat on the sidelines while working back to basic mobility through the season.

“The rehab from that was pretty intense and was a long, slow burn,” Lee said.

Recovering and strengthening after injury is a continuous and vital process for athletes. Lee has developed tight-knit relationships with her athletic trainers, allowing her to learn from their athletic careers while exposing her to the world of physical therapy. Together, their goal has been to proactively strengthen Lee, preventing the need for post-injury care.

“I’ve had really good experiences with all the physical therapists I’ve encountered on my journey,” Lee said. “They’ve all had a positive impact on my life.”

Lee never let her injury stop her, though. If anything, she said the setback reminded her of her ultimate goal: pursuing medicine.

Motivated by her experiences with injury and loss, Lee keenly anticipated being a physiological sciences student to bridge her athletic and career interests.

“I want to work with athletes in the future,” Lee said. “To get them back to what they love doing, just like how my PTs did for me.”

A typical week for Lee involves studying muscles in the cadaver lab and putting her own to work as she tumbles during practices and in UCLA’s weekly meets. After taking courses in anatomy, physiology and nutrition, she gained a deeper understanding of her body and applies that knowledge to her training in the gym.

“It’s totally connecting all the pieces, especially as a gymnast,” Lee said.

Balancing lectures, studying and exams as a student-athlete is daunting. And compounded with weekly training, traveling and competition, an already time-consuming major can become nearly inconceivable.

But Lee takes it in stride, making it work even if that means coming in early to train and rearranging her athletic obligations. She said her coaches have always supported her academic ambitions, joining her in the gym before the crack of dawn or rescheduling practice when it conflicted with mandatory class.

“I’ve learned to work hard in gymnastics and to always persevere, so I always try to implement that into school,” Lee said. “I have the ability to work hard, and that’s really all you need in life to get where you want to go.”

However, even nationally recognized athletes aren’t immune to self-doubt – Lee admits that imposter syndrome can sometimes creep in, especially at the No. 1 public university.

Nonetheless, her tenacity enabled her academic success, earning WCGA Scholastic All-American honors every year and making the Pac-12 Academic Honor Roll two consecutive years.

“I really admire her,” said Judy Sun, Lee’s former club coach. “When she wants to do something, she really goes for it and works hard.”

Pursuing medicine or physical therapy means a long road lies ahead for Lee, with years of schooling and residency to come.

But she doesn’t plan on stepping away from gymnastics just yet.

Lee has another year of eligibility in Westwood and said she plans on using that year with the Bruins. She added that she is aspiring to earn a masters of physiological sciences at UCLA, which would allow her to continue competing with her team.

It is common for student-athletes to be viewed unidimensionally, trapped within the confines of their sport. It can result from a trick of the brain, seeking to categorize and compartmentalize complicated subjects – which in this case happens to be multidimensional student-athletes.

Lee, however, is eager to break the stereotype.

“(One takeaway of) my collegiate career is to not put myself in a box of one thing,” Lee said.

Lee is more than just the No. 11 beam worker in the country. She owns a multitude of identities – a sister, student, team leader and fierce friend.

The day Lee takes her final salute for the Bruins will be just the beginning. She will be turning the page into a new career where she can funnel her unrelenting passion into helping others.

“Her experiences here have really helped prepare her for what comes next,” said coach Janelle McDonald. “We’re excited to see her dive into the next chapter and see where that lands her.”

And one day, she may help the next Emily Lee overcome a debilitating injury and return to the gym stronger and more confident than before.

“I have so much more to offer the world,” Lee said.