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US gymnast Suni Lee burst onto the Olympic gymnastics scene with an impressive performance at the Tokyo Olympics, winning three medals - gold in all-around, silver in team and bronze in uneven bars.
Suni Lee is the first Hmong-American to compete at the Olympics. Her phenomenal performances are a great source of inspiration for young gymnasts and athletes, especially from her ethnicity.
Suni or Sunisa Lee was born as Sunisa Phabsomphou to health care worker Yeev Thoj in Minnesota. Not much is known about Suni's real father, though. Her mother is a refugee who immigrated to the US from Laos as a child. Suni was raised by her mother and her longtime partner John Lee since she was two. The gymnast considers Lee her father and took his surname 'Lee' as a teenager.
Both Yeev and John's families - now Americans of Hmong ancestry - fled from Laos to the US to escape the Vietnam War. They arrived as refugees and settled in St.Paul, Minnesota in a large community of Hmong Americans with similar stories.
Yeev told ESPN that it was completely Sunisa Lee's decision to change her surname, as Yeev never married John.
"She wanted his last name."
In fact, it was John who introduced Suni to gymnastics when she was a kid. When she was seven, John transformed lumpy old mattresses into a DIY balance beam in their backyard and taught Suni how to do flips on a bed. He would always give her pep talks before competitions.
In 2019, John was paralyzed chest down after he fell from a ladder while helping a neighbour trim a tree. This tragic incident happened two days before Suni was set to compete at the US National Gymnastics Championships.
The young gymnast wanted to skip the competition, but her father insisted that she compete. He FaceTimed her from his bed in the ICU and told her to do her best and told her that she was always number one in his eyes. Despite her personal struggles, Suni shone through at the Nationals winning gold on the uneven bars and silver in all-around.
Suni has three half-siblings through her mother's relationship with John - Evionn, Lucky, and Noah. Evionn also competed in gymnastics at the regional level. Suni also has two step siblings - Jonah and Shyenne - from John's previous relationship.
How did Suni Lee celebrate her Tokyo win with her parents?
As Suni took steps to becoming an Olympic gold medallist, her parents were always by her side supporting her all the way through.
It was not an easy year for Suni Lee going into the Olympic Games in Tokyo last year.
She had lost her uncle and aunt to COVID-19; her 'father' was paralyzed in a freak accident, and she broke her feet while practicing for the Olympics. Nevertheless, despite the hurdles life threw her way, she emerged victorious.
Afer her marvellous show at the Tokyo Olympics, Suni Lee returned home and celebrated her wins with her mother and 'father', as they couldn't be there in person to cheer for her.
They celebrated with a live reunion and a makeshift medal ceremony at home. Suni Lee gifted her Olympic medals to her parents and brother in an emotional moment.
