Bernie Vang could have watched her niece compete in the all-around Olympics gymnastic finale with her family. But, instead, she chose to organize a watch party with “Team Suni” in a restaurant in Maplewood and invite Lee’s fans. Hundreds of people, more fans than relatives, showed up. 

“I wanted to give the experience to the public,” Vang said. “Today, especially, it’s such a historical day.”

Lee was competing solo for the all-around finale, after helping win gold in the gymnastics team finals on Tuesday. The crowd erupted in cheers as Lee cinched bronze, behind teammate Simone Biles and Brazilian Rebeca Andrade. 

“It’s a testament to her dedication,” Vang said a few minutes after the results were announced. Vang’s eyes were full of tears. “Happy tears,” she said. 

The crowd was expecting Lee to perform well on uneven bars, her strong suit. From the four screens in the room, Lee did not disappoint, performing an outstanding routine and landing with a smile. Her performance during the floor routine guaranteed her the medal. 

In the back of the room, St. Paul gymnast Pajtshiab Yang, 17, watched the competition with her cousin and other family members. 

“She is gonna be good, she does good under pressure,” Yang reassured herself, between two rotations. 

Yang has been watching Lee’s gymnastics feats for half a decade. She admires Lee’s determination and tenacity, especially in dealing with serious health issues. Two years ago, Lee was diagnosed with two kidney diseases, which are now in remission. 

For this year’s final, Lee had to compete against Biles. During the 2020 Tokyo Summer Olympics, Biles had left the race for mental health reasons and Lee made history, becoming the first Hmong American to win an all-around gold medal. 

But for Lee’s fans in Minnesota, both athletes displayed good sportsmanship. 

“She is that good,” noted Bau Vang, 51, seeing Lee against Biles. “[To] see her compete at that level is surreal.” 

Vang’s whole family sported “Team Suni” T-shirts. She said she points to Lee’s success as an example for her young boys, who play soccer.

Lee’s accomplishments do not only inspire young Hmong athletes. 

“She is out and representing Minnesota, the U.S. and the Hmong community; and it’s not just the Hmong community here, the Hmong community in France, in Thailand, in Laos,” said her aunt. “It [showed] the Hmong, a nomad group, that we actually have a place.”

Between Lee’s rotations, organizers took the mike to keep the crowd engaged. 

“Sunisa! Tsuhaib Tshaj!” (Sunisa, you are the best) shouted Pang Chang, one of Lee’s uncles. “This is a Hmong chant — so all the Hmong people here, you better say it loud,” he added.

In tandem with the Maplewood watch party, the team streamed a watch party from Paris with family members were able to travel to France. The uncle asked the crowd to be louder than their peers overseas.

“Team Suni” T-shirt sales and fundraisers helped family members travel to see Lee compete, Vang said.

Sitting at a round table in the room, another of Lee’s uncles, Teng Thao, 67, said he wished he had been able to travel to Paris. But he was recently hospitalized, he said. He got himself discharged from the hospital to attend the watch party. 

On his phone, he keeps a well-known video of his niece. Young Suni Lee is practicing on a homemade beam that her dad had set up for her. He republished the video on Facebook. 

“I am so proud of her, she is the only Hmong to go into the world to do something like that,” Thao said.