Suni Lee, a two-time Olympian, has achieved remarkable success in gymnastics at a young age, drawing comparisons to Simone Biles and Shannon Miller. However, despite her professional accomplishments, her personal life has been marked by significant challenges.
In 2021, she made her relationship with her African-American boyfriend public. The Olympian has since opened up about how she received “so much hate” over her interracial relationship.
Suni also revealed astonishing details about her battle with two forms of rare and incurable kidney disease that momentarily halted her career.
Suni Lee performing her balance beam routine during Artistic Gymnastics podium training, in preparation for the Paris 2024 Summer Olympic Games on July 25, 2024, in Paris, France. | Source: Getty Images
Suni Lee’s Journey and Her Family’s Sacrifices
Suni’s story begins in St. Paul, Minnesota, where she was born to John Lee and Yeev Thoj. of Hmong descent. However, Suni’s path to becoming an Olympic gymnast started later than most.
She was six when she began taking gymnastics lessons, an age considered old in the gymnastics world, where many start as early as 18 months or around three or four years old. Despite the late start, Suni had already been doing her own form of gymnastics.
“I used to flip around a lot and I was super active,” she recalled. Her parents remember how Suni would tumble around the house and the backyard. “People kept asking us, ‘Is she in gymnastics?’” Yeev said. It was clear that Suni had a natural talent and energy for the sport.
