Meet Suni Lee, the Hmong-American Olympic gymnastics champ: from battling a kidney disease to returning for the Paris Olympics 2024 – and almost meeting her idol Justin Bieber at the 2021 Met Gala

May 18 , 2024

Three-time Olympic medallist Suni Lee is the first Hmong American gymnast to represent the US – and she’s going to compete again at the 2024 Paris Olympic Games this summer. Photo: @sunisalee/Instagram

After battling an incurable kidney disease, 2020 Olympic champion, Sunisa (Suni) Lee is defying all odds as she gears up for her comeback to the 2024 Paris Olympics.

“I could not bend my legs the slightest, I couldn’t squeeze my fingers, my face was swollen,” the 21-year-old said about her disease at the Team USA media summit in April. Luckily, the rising star shared that she has her ailments “under control” now.

Suni Lee poses during the award ceremony after the artistic gymnastics women’s All-Around final at the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games in Tokyo, Japan, in July 2021. Photo: Xinhua

Although initially unsure if she would be returning for Paris, Lee is not one to back down from a challenge: “I was not ready to be done and I wanted to prove to myself that I could be better than I was at the last Olympics.”

In 2021, Lee was named one of Time magazine’s 100 Most Influential People in the World alongside icons like Naomi Osaka. This highly decorated athlete is truly becoming an inspiration to other young women. But what else do we know about the 21-year-old?

Suni Lee is the first Hmong-American Olympian

Suni Lee (right) with her family members, who are Hmong-Americans. Photo: @sunisalee/Instagram

Lee’s stint at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics was definitely one for the books as she was the first-ever Hmong-American gymnast to represent the US in the games. Both her mother Yeev Thoj and step-dad John Lee were just children when their refugee families moved from Laos to St Paul, Minnesota, according to Today. They are Hmong, an ethnic group primarily from Southeast Asia and China who fought alongside the US during the Vietnam war.

She is the seventh Olympic gymnast to be a Dancing with the Stars contestant

Suni Lee and Sasha Farber competed on Dancing with the Stars season 30. Photo: @sunisalee/Instagram

Following in the footsteps of other star gymnasts, Lee told USA Today that joining Dancing with the Stars was one of her goals after the Olympics. The prestigious list of DWTS alums includes her teammates Laurie Hernandez, who snagged the mirrorball trophy for season 23, and Simone Biles, who placed fourth in season 24. The St Paul native killed it on the dance floor with her professional partner Sasha Farber even though they didn’t win the competition.

Her life-changing diagnosis

Suni Lee is a professional gymnast who made history as the first Asian-American woman to win the title of All-Around champion at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics. Photo: @sunisalee/Instagram

The gymnastics champ was majoring in business marketing at Auburn University in Alabama, where she started her collegiate career. She spent two seasons at Auburn, winning titles and smashing records, and went on to make history as the first Olympic All-Around champion to compete at the NCAA level.

Suni Lee was diagnosed with kidney conditions in 2023. Photo: @sunisalee/Instagram

“I felt like I was really at my peak,” Lee said at the 2024 Team USA media summit. “I was way better than I was at the Olympics. So I was feeling really confident in myself.”

Unfortunately, in 2023, Lee was diagnosed with a kidney condition that limited her training and left her unsure of her future in gymnastics.

How one phone call changed everything

Suni Lee was named one of Time magazine’s 100 Most Influential People in the World in 2021. Photo: @sunisalee/Instagram

Miserable and unable to continue with gymnastics, Lee admitted that there were days where she struggled to even get out of bed. While the 21-year-old has kept most of her journey battling a kidney disease to herself, she revealed that a single phone call she received on January 4 changed everything for her.

Suni Lee will be competing at 2024 Paris Olympics with Team USA. Photo: @sunisalee/Instagram

“I can’t really talk about it, but it was a simple phone call. And I was like, ‘Oh my gosh, I’m going to the gym tomorrow and I’m gonna be better than I ever was.’ And that was the day I was like, ‘Yep, this is what I want. And I’m gonna put my mind into it.’” Lee said at the 2024 Team USA media summit.

She is a huge fan of Justin Bieber and Harry Potter

Suni Lee’s celeb crush is pop star Justin Bieber. Photo: @sunisalee/Instagram

Thanks to her tremendous achievements, it’s easy to forget that Lee is still a regular girl. According to USA Gymnastics, her favourite book series is Harry Potter and her favourite films are Finding Nemo and Just Go with It.

Her favourite pop icon? Justin Bieber. During a TV interview with Ellen DeGeneres, Lee shared how she almost met him at the 2021 Met Gala. His wife, Hailey Bieber, offered to introduce them at fashion’s biggest night – but Lee got cold feet!

Additional reporting by Sumnima Kandangwa

Icons and Influencers

Lee took home 3 medals from the 2020 Tokyo Olympics and became the first female Asian-American All-Around champion – and she’s going to compete this summer in Paris after battling kidney disease since early 2023
In 2021, the St Paul native was named one of Time magazine’s 100 Most Influential People in the World alongside tennis legend Naomi Osaka – she’s also a fan of Justin Bieber and Harry Potter