SUNISA LEE
Age: 18
Hometown: St. Paul, Minnesota
Social Media: @sunisalee_
This year, Sunisa Lee will become the first Hmong American on an Olympic gymnastics team! The 18-year old is a two-time national silver medalist in the all-around and her master skill is the uneven bars. Past wins include the 2019 U.S. all-around silver, uneven bars gold and floor bronze, then at the 2019 Worlds, she made the all-around final and took silver on floor and bronze on bars. Since her debut, she has consistently been the nation’s second best to Biles.
Though she makes her performances look effortless, Lee’s road to Tokyo has not been as easy. Time Magazine highlights her current recovery from a broken foot and the details that in 2019, the day before she left for the U.S. championships, her father fell while helping a friend trim a tree and was paralyzed. He needed surgery the day Lee competed, but she somehow managed to push through her worry and finish second, asking her family to text her coach after the operation even if she was in the middle of a routine. We hope to continue to watch her perseverance on the competition floor.
