There are plenty of Suni Lee fans around the United States. Whether it's gymnastics diehards who have followed Lee all year long, or Olympic casuals who are watching her for the first time, the member of the USA gymnastics squad is increasing her fan base.
However, no matter how much Lee may dazzle her audience, no one will be as devoted of fans as her parents.
This isn't Lee's first crack at the Olympics. The Auburn standout took part in the Tokyo Olympics in 2021, where she won a gold, a silver, and a bronze for the United States. Miles and miles away in her hometown in Minnesota, her family was glued to their television to watch Lee perform, just like the rest of the country.
MORE: Full gymnastics schedule for Suni Lee at the 2024 Olympics
It made for an incredibly heartwarming reaction, seeing an entire room of Lee's supporters celebrate the team's first-place finish in the all-around event.
Since we're watching the replay... here's the reaction from Suni Lee’s parents when she wins gold at the Tokyo Olympics in the women’s all-around gymnastics finalpic.twitter.com/csQAQyc2r1
— Kyle Sockwell (@kylesockwell) July 30, 2021
With Lee in Paris for her second Olympics, her family is once again in the spotlight. Here is everything you need to know about Lee's family and their background.
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Suni Lee family
Suni Lee parents
Lee's parents are Yeev Thoj and John Lee. John isn't Suni's biological father, but she considers him to be her dad.
While Yeev and John are together, they are not married.
The two are both of the Hmong group, as both the gymnast's mother and father are originally from Laos. The two immigrated as children to the United States after leaving Laos for Thailand. Eventually, the two settled in Minnesota.
"We know they did it for a reason, so they could be safe and their kids could have a good life," Suni said in a 2021 interview with the Star Tribune. "It's something very cool for my generation to know they did that for us. And it was all worth it."
John served in the military with the Navy and Army, and he now works as an applications engineer. Yeev works in health insurance as an associate care manager.
The two are just like any other parent watching their kid compete. The nerves are unavoidable, as both John and Yeev have admitted.
"When she does her routine, I usually hold my breath," Yeev said to Fox 9 in 2021. "I really don’t like to watch it."
"I try to be confident for her, but inside there is nerves," John said.
Suni Lee siblings
Suni is one of six total children in the family.
Like how Yeev had Suni before meeting John, John had two children from a previous marriage, Shyenne and Jonah. Together, Yeev and John have three kids, Evionn, Lucky, and Noah.
Suni is close to all of the members of her family. The entire Lee group is frequently seen watching her performances, whether in person or all together at their home.
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Suni particularly shares a bond with her sister Shyenne. The two were born 16 days apart, and have been inseparable since they were young.
"Suni, she's my other half," Shyenne told PopSugar in November 2021. "I don't really know how to explain it, but we always joke about how we're each other's soulmates. You know, we're not blood sisters, but it's like we were meant to meet each other."
Shynne isn't just supporting her sister from the stands. She also is making an impact on the mat. Shynne used her background in dancing to help choreograph Suni's floor routine — the same routine that helped her win a gold medal in Tokyo.
