I recently got a chance to meet and do a Q&A with one of UCLA’s coolest gymnastics alumni, Peng-Peng Lee. Peng-Peng Lee competed for UCLA gymnastics from 2013-2018. Before UCLA she was the honorary team captain for the Canadian gymnastics team for the 2012 Olympic Games! The beautiful and talented Toronto, Canada native definitely made her mark at UCLA. In 2018, she and her UCLA teammates seized the NCAA gymnastics team title. Led by head coach Valorie Kondos Fields, Peng-Peng scored a perfect 10 on the balance beam on the last event of the meet. She was the 2018 NCAA balance beam champion. Throughout her career she scored 10 perfect 10’s! Also, in 2018 she was Co-Woman of the year, The Honda sport award winner and Gymnastic Scholar –Athlete of the year. I could go on forever about all of her accomplishments! From club gymnastics to UCLA, there’s a lot she’s achieved! She’s pretty amazing inside and out.

Being that I’m a Sports Medicine Chiropractor, I wanted to know what obstacles she had to overcome and if she had any injuries. It’s obvious she works hard and is driven. I wanted to share how Peng-Peng’s positive attitude and perseverance lead her to the amazing legacy she has left at UCLA. So be prepared to be inspired!

Dr. Lina: Did you encounter any injuries or fears while on the UCLA gymnastics team?

Peng-Peng Lee: Throughout my career, I had a torn meniscus, a torn ACL, and a torn UCL (Ulnar Collateral ligament) of the thumb, which resulted in two ACL surgeries, a UCL thumb surgery and a meniscus surgery. One of my biggest fears was during my rehab process of getting back into gymnastics. Learning how to trust my body again was hard because of all the injuries.

Dr. Lina: Wow, How did you overcome that? I know that had to be a difficult process. What helped you persevere?

Peng-Peng Lee: It was a whole mental process to get over the fears. I had to really indulge in the rehabilitation process and know that my muscles were getting stronger. During rehab as I came back step by step without pain, it was easier to trust myself, but I had to be very aware of my body in order to gain the trust again.

Dr. Lina: That’s totally understandable. Gymnastics is a very strenuous sport that requires strength, flexibility and proprioceptive skill and awareness -all while in the air. What medical treatment besides your surgeries did you have for all or each of your injuries?

Peng-Peng Lee: There were various medical treatments that I used for these injuries, but I really liked acupuncture. In my opinion, it helped the healing process progress faster by helping break down scar tissue. I also responded well to laser light therapy and ultrasound therapy to reduce swelling.

Dr. Lina: Those are all great treatment options. How do you think these obstacles made you a better athlete and person overall?

Peng-Peng Lee: It taught me to be a better person because it taught me to focus more on mental training. This helped me through competitions but also in life general. It made me realize that I need to take my time and really take care of my body before jumping back into something too quickly. It’s hard but I’ve learned to trust the process more easily without questions in other areas of my life as well.

Dr. Lina: That’s awesome and definitely makes a lot of sense. So, what is Peng-Peng up to now? What’s next for someone who has accomplished so much already?

Peng-Peng Lee: I am currently a YouTuber and an entrepreneur. I am also an aspiring actress! My YouTube channel has been live for almost a year and I have enrolled in different acting classes to prep for a new pilot season!!

As you can see Peng-Peng is committed to excellence and approaches situations, good or challenging, with a positive attitude. You can subscribe to her YouTube channel here. (You’ll love it. Thank me later)

Her smile is infectious and she is so fun to be around. Peng, you inspire everyone with whom you come into contact. Thanks for being so sweet, so approachable and so genuine. I can’t wait to see all the great things your future will bring. You are definitely a star! Thanks for being apart of Dr. Lina Colleagues and Friends!

Hollywood's Shining Star Peng Peng Lee