Lee also trained throughout her sporting career as a member of Incheon City Hall's wrestling club, under her personal coach Ahn Seung-mun.

She picked up a silver medal in the inaugural women's 55 kg class, losing to her Japanese rival Saori Yoshida on technical superiority.

[2][3] When women's wrestling made its debut at the 2004 Summer Olympics in Athens, Lee qualified for her South Korean squad in the 55 kg class.

[4] In the prelim pool, Lee lost her opening match 2–5 to France's Anna Gomis, but rallied her campaign to pin and upset Greece's Sofia Poumpouridou in front of the home crowd inside Ano Liossia Olympic Hall.

Lee initially placed eighth in the final standings, but later upgraded to seventh, as Puerto Rico's Mabel Fonseca was disqualified from the tournament after being tested positive for stanozolol.