Sunni Lee Ethnicity, Bio, Updates, Age, Father, Height, Weight, Olympics

Sunisa “Suni” Lee (born March 9, 2003) is an American artistic gymnast who has become one of the most celebrated and inspiring figures in U.S. gymnastics history. She is the 2020 Olympic all-around gold medalist and uneven bars bronze medalist, as well as the 2024 Olympic all-around bronze medalist and uneven bars bronze medalist. Lee was a key member of the U.S. women’s teams that won gold at the 2019 World Championships, silver at the 2020 Olympics (Tokyo 2021), and gold again at the 2024 Paris Olympics, earning her a spot among the “Golden Girls” of that historic team.

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She is also the 2019 World floor exercise silver medalist and uneven bars bronze medalist, a two-time U.S. national uneven bars champion, and the first Hmong-American Olympian. Lee made history as the first Asian American woman and the first woman of Hmong descent to win the Olympic all-around title in 2021. After a successful freshman year at Auburn University (where she won an NCAA balance beam title and SEC uneven bars title), she returned to elite gymnastics and competed through a rare kidney disease diagnosis, ultimately medaling again at the 2024 Olympics.

Here is a quick overview of key facts about Sunisa Lee:

Sunisa Lee Ethnicity

Sunisa Lee is of Hmong ethnicity. Her mother, Yeev Thoj, is a Hmong refugee who immigrated to the United States from Laos as a child. The Hmong are an ethnic group originally from the mountainous regions of southern China, Laos, Vietnam, and Thailand, with a distinct language, culture, and history of resilience through centuries of migration and persecution. Suni is the first Hmong-American athlete to compete at the Olympics and the first Hmong person to win an Olympic gold medal in any sport.

Her success has been widely celebrated in the Hmong community in the United States (particularly in Minnesota, where the largest Hmong population in the country resides) and in the broader Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) community. Lee has spoken about the pride she feels representing her heritage, especially as a role model for young Hmong girls and Asian American youth in gymnastics and beyond. She has also used her platform to raise awareness about Hmong culture, history, and issues facing immigrant and refugee families.

Sunisa Lee Bio

Sunisa “Suni” Lee was born on March 9, 2003, in Saint Paul, Minnesota, to a Hmong-American family. Her mother, Yeev Thoj, worked in healthcare and immigrated to the U.S. as a child refugee from Laos. Suni was raised primarily by her mother’s longtime partner, John Lee, whom she considers her father and who began coaching her in gymnastics at an early age. John built a homemade balance beam from a mattress when Suni was six after she started doing backflips in the yard. She began formal training at Midwest Gymnastics Centre in Little Canada, Minnesota, under coach Punnarith Koy, and later moved to coach Jess Graba, who has guided her elite career ever since.

Suni showed early talent and progressed quickly through the levels. In 2016, she became a junior elite, and in 2017, she joined the U.S. junior national team. After making her senior international debut in 2019, she quickly rose to prominence, earning silver on floor and bronze on uneven bars at that year’s World Championships and helping the U.S. win team gold. At the 2020 Olympics, held in 2021 due to COVID-19, Suni won the all-around gold and uneven bars bronze, becoming the first Hmong-American and first Asian American woman to claim the Olympic all-around title. She also contributed to the U.S. team’s silver.

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After the Olympics, Suni enrolled at Auburn University, where she competed collegiately from 2021–2023, winning NCAA balance beam and SEC uneven bars titles. In March 2023, she was diagnosed with two rare kidney diseases (one incurable), which forced her to end her sophomore NCAA season early and take a hiatus from elite gymnastics. She returned in 2024, medaling at the U.S. Championships and placing second at Olympic Trials to secure a spot on the 2024 Paris Olympic team. At Paris, she helped the U.S. win team gold, earned individual all-around bronze, and won uneven bars bronze, becoming the first reigning Olympic all-around champion since Nadia Comăneci (1980) to medal again in the event at the next Games.

Suni has become a global icon for resilience, cultural representation, and overcoming adversity. She has won major awards, including Sports Illustrated Female Athlete of the Year (2021), Women’s Sports Foundation Sportswoman of the Year (2021), Time 100 (2021), Asia Game Changer Award (2021), and the ESPY for Best Comeback Athlete (2025).

Updates

As of January 2026, Suni Lee is fully retired from competitive elite gymnastics following the 2024 Paris Olympics, where she won three medals (team gold, all-around bronze, uneven bars bronze). She has shifted her focus to health recovery after her 2023 kidney disease diagnosis, as well as public speaking, endorsements, and advocacy. Recent highlights include:

• Appearing in the 2025 Victoria’s Secret Fashion Show alongside WNBA star Angel Reese (the first major athlete to model at the event).
• Launching collaborations with brands including Lululemon (October 2024), HOKA (January 2025), Tatcha (June 2025), SKIMS Team USA collection (June 2024), KISS nails, and others.
• Being named to the 2025 Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Issue.
• Receiving the 2025 ESPY Award for Best Comeback Athlete and bringing her doctor, Dr Marcia Faustin, as her guest.
• Continuing advocacy for Hmong representation, Asian American visibility, kidney health, and mental health awareness.

Suni has not announced plans for a gymnastics comeback or NCAA return. She remains active on social media (@sunisalee on Instagram), sharing fitness, fashion, and personal updates. She lives in Minnesota and Los Angeles, focusing on family, friends, and brand partnerships.

Age

Sunisa Lee was born on March 9, 2003. As of January 2026, she is 22 years old.

Father

Sunisa Lee’s father figure is John Lee, her mother’s longtime partner, who raised her from age two and is widely regarded as her dad. John is of Hmong descent and worked in various jobs while supporting Suni’s gymnastics career. He built her first homemade balance beam and has been a constant presence at competitions, training sessions, and major events.

Suni has publicly referred to John as her father and credits him with much of her success and stability. Her biological father is not publicly involved in her life or career, and Suni has not spoken in detail about him. John Lee remains a supportive figure in her life as of early 2026.

Height

Sunisa Lee stands at 4 feet 11 inches (1.50 meters) tall.

Weight

During her elite gymnastics career, Sunisa Lee’s competition weight was reported as 99–108 pounds (45–49 kg), fluctuating with training, injury recovery, and health. After her 2023 kidney diagnosis and retirement from elite competition, her weight has not been detailed publicly. As of early 2026, she maintains a healthy, athletic physique focused on wellness rather than meeting competition requirements.

Olympics

Sunisa Lee has competed in two Olympic Games:

2020 Tokyo Olympics (held in 2021):

• Team: Silver medal (U.S. women’s team)
• All-Around: Gold medal (first Hmong-American and first Asian American woman to win Olympic all-around)
• Uneven Bars: Bronze medal
• Became the sixth U.S. woman to win Olympic all-around gold (after Retton, Patterson, Liukin, Douglas, Biles)

2024 Paris Olympics:

• Team: Gold medal (U.S. women’s team – the “Golden Girls”)
• All-Around: Bronze medal (first reigning champion since Comăneci in 1980 to medal again in all-around)
• Uneven Bars: Bronze medal
• Helped the U.S. reclaim the team gold after the 2020 silver

Suni is one of the most decorated U.S. female gymnasts with nine combined World and Olympic medals. After Paris 2024, she retired from elite competition to prioritise health and personal life. Her Olympic achievements have made her a role model for Hmong youth, Asian Americans, and young gymnasts worldwide.