Suni Lee, the gold medalist gymnast who captivated the world with her gold medal victory, has five siblings. Her oldest sister, Shyenne Lee, is a standout athlete who played college softball. Her older brother, Jonah Lee, is known for his football skills and played as a defensive back in college. She also has three younger siblings: Sisters Evionn and Bella, and brother Lucky. 

Suni Lee hails from a tight-knit Hmong-American family in St. Paul, Minnesota. Her journey to the top has been profoundly influenced by her family, particularly her siblings, who have been a constant source of support and inspiration. Let’s delve into the lives of Suni Lee’s siblings and explore how her family has contributed to her remarkable success as an Olympic champion.

Everything about Suni Lee’s five siblings

Suni Lee comes from a very supportive background. The Olympic Gold Medalists’ family is also quite large. Other than her parents Yeev Thoj and step-father John Lee, she also has five siblings. Four sisters Shyenne, Evionn, Sydni and Luciana as well as a younger half-brother Jonah. Suni has always said that her family is very close-knit and has supported her gymnastics aspirations from the get-go. When Suni showed early signs of being interested in gymnastics, her father built a makeshift balance beam for her to explore her interests. After John Lee was paralyzed in 2019 post an accident, the siblings likely grew even closer. 

Shyenne is Suni’s older sister and the two are only 12 days apart. So naturally, they are very close and often get mistaken for twins. When Suni won the Olympics, she excitedly texted her to share the news.

Evionn Lee is Suni’s younger sister, who is planning on following Suni’s footsteps and has competed in gymnastics at the regional level. Though Sydni, Luciana, and Jonah all prefer to maintain private lives, they are very close, especially given the many hardships they had to face as a family. 

From where does the gymnastics icon’s family hail?

Lee’s family comes from a Hmong background. Her parents were born in Laos and were part of the large Hmong ethnic group that faced persecution and had to flee their home country post the Vietnam War. Though they fought beside the American troops in the war, when the US withdrew, they left the Hmongs to face the Laos government by themselves. They had to trek across the Mekong River to refugee camps in Thailand. From there they could flee to safety in America. 

John Lee was only seven when he had to come to the US and it was a big culture shock to him. Suni’s mother Yeev was 12. It was difficult for them to adjust to a new country without any support system. However, they were resilient. As the child of first-generation immigrants, Suni Lee has a resilient quality that allows her to take up any challenges. Not only the Hmongs, but the US is no doubt proud to call her one of their own.