[Congressional Record Volume 167, Number 134 (Friday, July 30, 2021)]
[Senate]
[Pages S5211-S5212]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]



                         Tribute to Sunisa Lee

  Madam President, I rise today to congratulate and honor Minnesota's 
own Sunisa Lee, who won the gold medal in the women's all-around 
gymnastics event at the 2020 Olympics in Tokyo.
  I got up, like many Minnesotans, at 5 in the morning to watch this 
live, and it was a sight to behold.
  Suni hails from St. Paul. The youngest member of the U.S. women's 
gymnastics team at just 18, she has been competing on the national and 
international stages since 2015. She is now officially the best women's 
gymnast in the world.
  Suni Lee's journey is a remarkable one. She faced incredible 
challenges to compete on the world's stage, including training through 
the coronavirus pandemic, breaking her foot, and sadly experiencing 
tragedies within her family

[[Page S5212]]

when she lost two relatives to COVID and when a 2019 accident left her 
father paralyzed.
  On Thursday, July 29, 2021, she led the American team's quest for 
gold in the women's all-around gymnastics event after the legendary 
Simone Biles withdrew. But Simone Biles stayed and was there for her 
teammate and was there in the stands. But with the pressure of the 
world upon her, Suni Lee, who never thought she would be leading that 
team, who never thought that this honor would be hers, gave the 
performance of her life.
  Suni's difficult and daring uneven bars routine sealed her victory. 
The routine set a 6.8 difficulty mark and earned a score of 15.3, tied 
for the highest score by any gymnast in the competition. She defended 
the American title in the women's all-around gymnastics event, marking 
the fifth consecutive Olympic win for an American.
  She also contributed to the U.S. women's gymnastics team's silver 
medal performance in the team competition. She is a teamplayer and a 
role model for young men and women around the Nation.
  Suni's entire family contributed to her success. And for many of us 
who watched, we saw them all in that room, cheering her on.
  Her family, back in time, fled terror and violence in their native 
country of Laos to create a better life for their children. Her father 
John Lee built Suni a wooden balance beam in their backyard when she 
was a child because they could not afford to buy one.
  As she said after her championship performance, ``We both worked for 
this. [My father] sacrificed everything to put me in gymnastics.''
  Suni Lee represented the best of America on the world stage.
  Minnesota, as my colleague Tina Smith will share with you soon, is 
home to more than 81,000 Hmong Americans, the largest urban 
concentration in the United States. Suni's family, like many, arrived 
in America in the aftermath of the Vietnam war seeking a better life.
  Suni is the first Hmong American to make the U.S. Olympic team and 
the first to win an Olympic Gold Medal. She is the first Asian American 
to win the women's all-around gymnastics competition. Her 
accomplishments represent the resiliency of her community and are an 
inspiration to Hmong Americans and all of us. They also represent her 
own personal resilience to be able to shine in that moment with such 
grace under pressure. Truly, she has captured the hearts of Minnesotans 
and people around the world.
  Suni Lee's win is a remarkable achievement. I am pleased to take this 
opportunity to congratulate her; her coach, Jess Graba; her parents, 
John Lee and Yeev Thoj; and her entire extended family. I wish her 
continued success throughout her gymnastics career and beyond, and we 
can't wait to welcome her home.
  I yield the floor.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Senator from Minnesota.
  Ms. SMITH. Madam President, I am just delighted to be here today on 
the floor of the U.S. Senate with my colleague Senator Klobuchar to 
offer my heartfelt congratulations to Sunisa Lee of St. Paul, MN, who 
won Olympic Gold in the individual all-around event in women's 
gymnastics in Tokyo this week.
  Suni gave a historic performance while under immense personal 
pressure and under the difficult circumstances that have defined the 
2021 Olympic Games. But she stepped up, and she gave an astounding 
performance to bring home gold, continuing the American tradition of 
excellence in women's gymnastics. Her routine on the uneven bars, as 
Senator Klobuchar said, one of the most difficult ever attempted in 
women's gymnastics, was just stunning.
  On her way to Olympic Gold, Suni faced really tremendous obstacles. 
After beginning her gymnastics training at age 6, Suni showed 
incredible dedication, focus, and drive to reach the elite levels of 
her sport despite injuries and personal challenges.
  In 2019, her father was paralyzed in an accident but continued 
supporting his daughter's gymnastics career. And while continuing her 
training during the coronavirus pandemic, Suni suffered a broken foot, 
an Achilles tendon injury, and the tragic loss of her aunt and uncle to 
coronavirus.
  While pandemic precautions meant there were no spectators to cheer 
her on in Tokyo, Suni's family, friends, community members, and 
gymnastics fans all over the country got together to cheer her on from 
afar with watch parties held in her honor. The videos of these 
gatherings show the incredible shared joy and pride in her incredible 
accomplishment, and I am sure that she could feel all that love and 
support as she competed in Tokyo.
  Not only is Suni the youngest member of the U.S. women's Olympic 
gymnastics team, but she is also the first Hmong American on the U.S. 
Olympic team and now is the first Asian American to be the Olympic 
women's all-around champion.
  Her leadership and sportsmanship are an inspiration, and Minnesota is 
so proud to call her one of our own. In fact, Minnesota's Governor, Tim 
Walz, and St. Paul's mayor, Melvin Carter, have announced that today, 
Friday, July 30, 2021, is ``Sunisa Lee Day.'' It is too bad that Ms. 
Klobuchar and I can't be there to help them celebrate in St. Paul.
  I also wanted to take this opportunity to congratulate those who 
contributed to Suni's victory: her parents, John Lee and Yeev Thoj, and 
her coach, Jess Graba. After Suni won her gold, she reminded us all 
that no one achieves success alone as she said, ``This is my family's 
medal, my medal. My coach's medal.''
  Madam President, in this moment, I also would like to take an 
opportunity to acknowledge the awe-inspiring leadership of Simone 
Biles. Her choice to withdraw from the all-around event in order to 
protect her health and safety was courageous and is an important 
reminder that mental health is an essential part of our overall well-
being.
  In addition to being the greatest of all time, Simone's powerful 
advocacy and her unwavering support for Suni and the rest of her team 
show that she is also a great team player and an activist.
  Every Olympic medal represents untold hours of hard work and struggle 
and resilience, and Suni Lee's all-around gold is no exception.
  So congratulations to Suni. We are all so proud of you. Thank you for 
your courage, your dedication, and your inspiration to all of us 
everywhere in this country.
  I yield the floor.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Senator from Ohio.