As Sunisa Lee celebrates her gold medal win in the women’s gymnastics all-around final, the Team USA star has become an instant household name — but who is the 18-year-old gymnast who took the top spot in her first-ever Olympics Games?
Sunisa, who hails from Minnesota, is the daughter of Laotian refugees who fled the country in the wake of the Vietnam War — and she’s also the first Hmong-American to represent the United States at the Olympics.
Her road to the Games wasn’t an easy one, with the star persevering through personal tragedy after her father was paralyzed in a freak accident in 2019 that left him in a wheelchair.
But both of her parents, who were unable to accompany her to the Games due to COVID rules, excitedly cheered her on from home as she bested the competition on Thursday, with her mother moved to tears when Sunisa was announced as the winner.
Sunisa grew up in Saint Paul, Minnesota, where her family settled to pursue the American dream.
Her dad has always been a huge supporter. When she was 12, he bet her that if she won a competition she was preparing for, he’d buy her an iPhone. That was no small bet for John, but he meant it — so when she won, he sold a truck to pay for her price
He also suffered from fractured ribs and a broken wrist when he sustained a spinal cord injury but says his daughter gives him strength
Both of her parents, Houa John Lee and Yeev Thoj, were born in Laos and are members of the Hmong ethnic group. During the Vietnam War, the Hmong were recruited to fight alongside American forces to stave off communism — and they paid a heavy price.
About 50,000 Hmong civilians were killed in all, with about 25 per cent of all Hmong men killed in combat. Many were killed by their own government after US forces withdrew, leading many remaining Hmong to flee for their safety.
According to a feature in Minnesota’s Star Tribune, her mother and father were still children when their families fled Laos in the ’70s, ending up first in refugee camps in Thailand.
‘When the U.S. pulled out of Laos, the war wasn’t over,’ her father, a Navy veteran, explained. ‘People had to go to Thailand for their safety, and for a chance to have a better life.’
They weren’t allowed to settle in Thailand, though, and in 1979, when Sunisa’s dad was eight years old, his family emigrated to the US. Her mom emigrated at age 12, in 1987.
‘We know they did it for a reason, so they could be safe and their kids could have a good life,’ Sunisa said of her grandparents’ reasons for fleeing. ‘It’s something very cool for my generation to know they did that for us. And it was all worth it.’
They ultimately made their way to Minnesota, home to about 80,000 Hmong people — who see her as their ‘ambassador to the world.’
Her parents met as adults in Minnesota. According to ESPN, John is not Sunisa’s biological father: He was a divorced dad of two children, Jonah and Shyenne, when he met Sunisa’s mom, Yeev — who was then a single mom to two-year-old Sunisa, whom she named after her favorite Thai soap opera actress.
But the pair clearly bonded, with Sunisa choosing to legally change her last name to Lee.
Sunisa, pictured with her sister Shyenne, grew up tumbling and flipping around the house. Her parents signed her up for gymnastics classes at age six
Both of her parents, Houa John Lee and Yeev Thoj, were born in Laos and are members of the Hmong ethnic group. They came to the US as refugees in the wake of the Vietnam War
Sunisa — known as Suni to friends and family — is one of five siblings in all, including sisters Shyenne and Evionn and brothers Jonah, Lucky, and Noah.
As a young girl, she became enchanted by gymnastics after watching videos on YouTube, telling the New York Times: ‘Once I started, I just couldn’t stop. It looked so fun, and I wanted to try it myself.’
She would flip and tumble around the family’s home, even swinging from metal bars holding up a clothesline in the backyard. When she was six, her parents signed her up for classes at Midwest Gymnastics Center in Little Canada, where she still trains today with coaches Jess Graba and Alison Lim, who own the gym.
‘She was a very active kid, always tumbling around,’ her aunt, Cecelia Lee, told the Star Tribune. ‘But who would have known it would lead to this?’
As she got better, her dad built her a wooden balance beam she could use to practice at home, making it himself because the family couldn’t afford a real one.
Her dad has always been a huge supporter. When Sunisa was 12, he bet her that if she won first place in a competition she was preparing for, he’d buy her an iPhone. That was no small bet for John, but he meant it — so when she won, he sold a truck to pay for her price.
‘When Suni started competing as an elite, I traveled with her almost everywhere,’ he told ESPN. ‘I always talked to her before the competition, and sometimes I’d be hard on her and she’d get mad. When Suni’s mad, she focuses a little better.’
But, he said, his message has changed a bit as she has moved up to the big leagues.
‘Now she’s used to me telling her to go out there and have fun,’ he said.
In the fall, Sunisa will attend Auburn University in Alabama. She said her favorite subject in school was science
Sunisa (far left) is pictured with her teammates in matching outfits at the Olympic Village
Sunisa has managed to stay focused even as tragedy struck her family. In August 2019, John was on a ladder trimming a neighbor’s tree branches when he fell to the ground, suffering grave injuries including fractured ribs, a broken wrist, and worst of all, a spinal cord injury.
He spent time in the hospital, but insisted that Sunisa still compete in her first senior national championships days later. Knowing her dad was watching on TV, a then 16-year-old Sunisa dominated, finishing the all-around in second place finished behind Simone Biles and earning gold on uneven bars.
Today, John remains paralyzed from the weight down and wheelchair-bound — but says that his daughter gives him strength.
‘Before my injury, I was active and athletic and I fixed everything around the house,’ he said. ‘I can’t do any of that now, and it’s hard. But when I get so angry at myself, I look at Sunisa and think about what she has had to go through to get to where she’s at, and she inspires me.’
This year has been a busy one for Sunisa. Before coming to the Olympics, she had already begun racking up medals, placing first on uneven bars at the 2021 Winter Cup, the 2021 American Classic, and the 2021 U.S. Gymnastics Championships.
‘She was a very active kid, always tumbling around,’ her aunt, Cecelia Lee, told the Star Tribune. ‘But who would have known it would lead to this?’
She also graduated from high school at South Saint Paul Secondary, where her favorite subject was science. In the fall, she’ll attend Auburn University in Alabama.
But while there have been plenty of exciting moments, there have been hard times too. She became depressed when the Olympics were postponed last year, and even considered quitting gymnastics. When she finally got back to the gym, she broke her foot, setting her back. She also lost a beloved aunt and uncle who contracted COVID-19.
‘It’s been a tough year, but I’m super proud of myself,’ she said. ‘After COVID and quarantine, I was unmotivated because we had so much time off and I felt I wasn’t good enough anymore. But now I’ve been a lot better mentally, and you can see it in my gymnastics.’
The whole world could see it as she nabbed her first Olympic gold medal today. That included her proud parents, who were forced to watch from home due to the Olympic ban of family members.
‘It’s really hard because it’s been all of our dreams and for them to not even be able to go to the Olympics and watch is something that is so heartbreaking,’ Sunisa admitted to People.
‘Even though we can’t go and support her in-person, I’m glad that we could share with the world,’ her dad told WCCO. ‘We’re just all so happy, we cheered her on. We had the full house so we were pretty loud.’