Olympian Suni Lee Has a Strong Support System: Meet the Gymnast’s Parents and Siblings

Sunisa “Suni” Lee has been a fan favorite gymnast ever since she made her Olympics debut in 2021 during the Tokyo games. In light of the 2024 Olympics in Paris, many fans are wondering who her family is and if she has siblings.

Who Are Suni Lee’s Parents?

The Minnsota native is the child of mother Yeev Thoj and father John Lee . While John is not Suni’s biological father, he raised her for most of her life and it was her decision to take his last name.

Both Yeev and John immigrated to the United States from the Southeast Asian country Laos, which is bordered by Myanmar, China, Vietnam, Cambodia and Thailand.

John is a Navy and Army veteran, and he currently works as an applications engineer. Meanwhile, Yeev is an associate care manager for a health insurance company.

Suni Lee’s Parents Support Her Gymnastics Career

Yeev and John have always been supportive of Suni, and they praised their daughter when she competed during her first Olympics in 2021.

“ I am so happy that she got the gold , and I don’t know what else to say. It’s just surreal, you know?” John told Minnesota Public Radio about Suni’s success in 2021. “I never expected this, but she did it. Thirteen years of hard work, and she did it.”

Suni has relied on her parents before important events, and she admitted to calling home before competing at the 2020 Olympics. “You're not doing this for nobody else anymore,” John told ESPN about the advice he gave his daughter ahead of her performance. “Not for your friends, not for the Hmong community. You are doing this for yourself now. OK? Enjoy. That's your only goal. You got this.”

Suni Lee’s Dad John Lee Is in a Wheelchair

John was paralyzed from the waist down in 2019 after he fell from a ladder while helping a friend cut down a tree branch.

"According to the doctor, I’m pretty much paralyzed from here down,” he told NBC’s WTHR about the accident while showing where he lost movement in his body.

Olympic Games

Guessing Game

While becoming paralyzed drastically changed his and his family’s life, John’s employer made sure to support his family.

“His accident occurred on a Sunday and on Monday, we had multiple team meetings to discuss how we could support John and his family,” Dennis Shaw, John’s manager, told WTHR . “At each turn, we wanted to be sure he had what he needed, from co-workers visiting him in the hospital and at home to helping with the short-term and long-term disability paperwork to ensuring that he had everything he needed in a role that was appropriate for him when he was able to begin working again.”

How Many Siblings Does Suni Lee Have?

Suni was just 2 years old when her mother met John, while he had two children, Jonah and Shyenne , from a previous marriage. The couple – who never married – went on to welcome kids Evionn, Lucky and Noah .

Suni Lee Appreciates Her Family’s Support

Suni opened up about the sacrifices her parents and grandparents made in order to support her and her siblings while speaking to the Star Tribune in 2021.

“We know they did it for a reason, so they could be safe and their kids could have a good life,” the athlete said. “It's something very cool for my generation to know they did that for us. And it was all worth it.”