Were Sunisa Lee’s Coaches Jeff and Jess Graba Failed Musicians? Everything to Know about the Twin Brothers’ Tryst With Gymnastics

A pair of identical twins whose journey from the small town of Nimrod, Minnesota has reached the zenith of gymnastics coaching. Jeff and Jess Graba sculpted the Olympic all-around champion Sunisa Lee towards gymnastics glory. But beneath the mat lies a hidden chapter of their story. The spotlight which now enlightens their coaching prowess, once shone on them as they rocked the stage as musicians.

Before sculpting Olympic champions, the dynamic duo won the hearts of the audience with their music band, Malone. Fast forward to today, their names are synonymous with excellence in gymnastics coaching. Nurturing one of the remarkable American gymnastics phenoms, Suni Lee, Jeff, and Jess Graba have cemented their names in the gymnastics realm. But were they destined for stardom in the music industry, or was their true calling waiting to be discovered elsewhere?

Who are the twin Minnesota coaches of Suni Lee?

The twin brothers began their careers in the world of sports with wrestling. They were in their fifth or sixth grade when their wrestling coach asked them to take gymnastics lessons to improve their game of grappling. But unexpectedly they found solace in the newly discovered sport. Although they continued with both wrestling and gymnastics for quite some time, they finally chose the mat over the ring. The Graba brothers were as young as thirteen when they began their coaching career in gymnastics. Jeff managed Flips Gymnastics in Minneapolis and Jess, Shoreview Gymnastics. Whatever they earned, they used the amount to pay off their tuition.

But this struggle and hard work soon paid off. After graduating in 1992, Jeff and Jess started jobs in different fields. But they weren’t late to realize that they belonged to the realm of gymnastics. They opened Midwest Gymnastics together with 60 students. It was a 6000 square foot area. The Graba brothers still continued to work relentlessly and took up various coaching jobs. In 2010 Jeff Graba became the head coach for Auburn after serving as assistant coach at Utah State for two years and at Utah for five years. Jess, along with the cooperation and support of his wife Alison Lim, took care of Midwest Gymnastics. At their gym, the Graba brothers met Sunisa Lee when she was just six. 

Praising the athlete, Jess added, “She’s also super smart. She knows the code, and she’s been trained to think for herself. I mean, I want her thinking. So if she messes up something, she knows to pull it. Like the double squat turn on beam. We’ve talked about that several times when she was younger.” It has been more than 12 years for the Graba brothers that they have been a guiding force for Suni Lee. But they were not just wrestlers, entrepreneurs, and gymnastics coaches. They had a music band too.

What happened to their music career?

During the 1990s, the Graba brothers set up their band named Malone. Soon they got going and were also steadily attracting the masses by performing at The Mirage in Minneapolis. Just like a professional band, the brothers divided the roles- Jess was vested with being the lead singer and guitarist while Jeff ensured perfection with the backup vocals and the bass. Speaking about their passion for music, the duo stated, “We went at the band 100%.” 

Sadly, after a year or two of continuing with their band, the brothers realized the struggle that the musical realm would demand. Thus, they shifted their focus to coaching gymnasts instead. Come 1995, the Graba brothers established Midwest Gymnastics, which they felt needed to be bigger for floor exercises. Gradually, business began to grow steadily and the rest is pretty much history.