Amid Gold House Gala appearance, Suni Lee reveals athletic inspirations while naming Asian Pacific Icon

Olympic gold medallist Suni Lee was present at the Gold House Gala 2025. She graced the event at the historic Music Center in downtown Los Angeles. The american gymnast, along with personalities, shared her thoughts on the Asian Pacific personalities that have had a cultural impact over the past year.

Lee got into gymnastics at the age of six after watching videos of Nastia Liukin and Shawn Johnson on YouTube. She became the first Hmong-American Olympian with her appearance the Tokyo Games in 2021. The 22-year-old has two Olympic golds, one silver, and three bronze medals to her name.

At the Gold House Gala 2025, Suni Lee was one of the personalities who were interviewed by content creator Shan Rizwan. In a video posted on Instagram in collaboration with the Gold House, Rizwan asked them the following question (via @shanrizwan on Instagram):

"Which Asian Pacific icon had the biggest impact on the culture this year?"

Suni Lee included two fellow Olympians on her list - freestyle skier Eileen Gu and snowboarder Chloe Kim. Kim is a two-time Olympic gold medalist, while Gu won two gold medals and a silver at the 2022 Winter Olympics in Beijing.

"I feel like for me I am an athlete, like I naturally am going to think of like Chloe Kim and Eileen Gu, just because they're also my friends, so I look up to them a lot," she said.

Meanwhile, Suni Lee was also honored with the A1 Honor for Sports & Gaming at the Gold House Gala 2025. She was presented the award by fellow Olympians Jordan Chiles and Allyson Felix.

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Suni Lee on battling kidney disease: "I’m Even Stronger"

Suni Lee was diagnosed with two rare kidney diseases in March 2023. She returned to the gymnastics mat in time for the Olympic trials in 2024, and made the US team for Paris, where she won one gold medal in the team event and bronze medals in the all-around and uneven bars events.

In March 2025, Lee penned an emotional essay about her disease and wrote about her journey back to gymnastics.

"I have learned through the high highs and low lows that I will never be the Suni I was before—because I am a stronger Suni than I ever thought I could be. When it comes to your health, it is so important to advocate for yourself, to use your voice even when it is shaking," she wrote in her essay for Women's Health.

It will be interesting to see what the future in gymnastics holds for Lee, who has not ruled out competing at the LA Olympics in 2028.