Esther Lee.Photo:Esther Lee/Instagram
Esther Lee/Instagram
Esther Lee, the physiotherapist who has worked with the likes ofSerenaandVenus Williams, and laterShaun White, is “doing great" three years after first being diagnosed with Stage 4 pancreatic cancer, White tells PEOPLE.White, 35, was excited to share that Lee, 45, is doing well and staying positive since she was first diagnosed in July 2020. The diagnosis is terminal and most patients have a life expectancy of one year.“She’s doing great and I’m so thrilled to be able to say that,” the retired snowboarder says, lighting up when talking about his longtime friend. “I’m actually supposed to have breakfast with her in a couple of days. She’s great.”The Los Angeles-based physiotherapist first began working with the Williams sisters in 2009 after a fateful physical therapy session with Serena.
“I immediately fell in love,” Serena, now 41,toldSports Illustratedlast year, adding that she “literally asked her on the spot” to come on the road with her and Venus.
“She’s an amazingly sweet person,” Serena told the outlet. “And she has a great personality. She’s just really nice—the soul of her being is nice. There’s nothing bad you can say about her.”
Lee worked with the Williams sisters full-time until 2015 when she decided to return to Los Angeles with hopes of starting a family. Soon after, Lee met White and began working with the famed Olympian as he began his pursuit for a third gold medal at the 2018 Winter Olympics in PyeongChang.
Esther Lee and Shaun White.Esther Lee/Instagram
White spoke with PEOPLE recentlyahead of the release of his new four-part documentary seriesShaun White: The Last Runon Max and gave an update on Lee’s health.
Lee is a prominent figure in the documentary, which shows candid footage of the two working and traveling together during the 2018 and 2022 Winter Olympics. Throughout the series, White is shown working with Lee and discussing his mental state as he comes to terms with his approaching retirement.
“We really bonded through a lot of rollercoaster days together,” Lee says inThe Last Run. “I’ve seen him cry. I’ve seen him be the happiest and the saddest. I feel like he’s my little brother. We’ve gone through a lot and I think even more so in the last couple years.”
Esther Lee.Esther Lee/Instagram
At another point, White begins to cry when recalling the moment Lee called him in 2020 to share the news she had cancer.“You hear about these things and I’m just thinking, like, how could this bundle of joy, this fun, beautiful person have this thing happen to her?” White says.
But four years later, with Lee on his team, White returned to win gold for a record third time.
“There were so many people along the way that were with me on this journey, and she’s been such an amazing part of my mental wellness comeback,” White tells PEOPLE.
White competed for a final time in his career at the 2022 Olympics in Beijing. Due to the COVID pandemic restrictions at the time, only one person was allowed to travel with each athlete to the games — and White picked Lee.During the event, Leesharedan emotional tribute to White on Instagram, calling him a “dear loving friend who has played a huge part in my cancer recovery.” And late last year, White gifted her a U.S. Olympic Team ring.“What a crazy, meaningful and emotional ride it’s been to be challenged, knocked down, to help each other back up over and over and over again and to celebrate victories along the way,” Leewroteon Instagram last December. “I am forever honored to be part of Team Shaun and thank you so very much for being part of Team Esther. You reminded me that life is about needing each other, it’s about teamwork.”
source: people.com
