A few years ago, Suni Lee’s father suffered a horrific accident that left him paralyzed.
Suni Lee is one of the gymnasts on Team USA who will compete in the 2024 Paris Olympics.
Memorably, she took home gold at the Tokyo Olympics. Although she is not the newest nor the most famous athlete representing America in France, many eyes are on her.
Her family, including her father, is rooting for her. But what accident happened to her father?
![Suni Lee: What accident left the Olympic athlete's father paralyzed? 10 Suni Lee flies through the air on June 30, 2024.](https://thegurumedia.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/0726_sunilee_03-1024x718.jpg)
A supportive family helped Suni Lee become an Olympic athlete
Suni Lee is a Team USA gymnast from Minnesota. Now 21, she is a college student.
Born Sunisa Phabsomphou, Suni is the first American of Hmong descent to compete in the Olympics. Her parents immigrated to the United States from Laos.
When Suni was just two years old, her mother, Yeev, met John Lee. John was recently divorced at the time and had two children.
Suni considers John her father, even changing her last name to match his, although he and Yeev never married.
![Suni Lee: What accident left the Olympic athlete's father paralyzed? 11 Suni Lee on July 25, 2024, ahead of the Paris Olympics.](https://thegurumedia.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/0726_sunilee_02-1024x683.jpg)
![Suni Lee: What accident left the Olympic athlete's father paralyzed? 12 Suni Lee on July 25, 2024, ahead of the Paris Olympics.](https://thegurumedia.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/0726_sunilee_02-1024x683.jpg)
After the Tokyo Olympics, the immensely proud John Lee counted O Today Show that he had built a wooden balance beam in the backyard for Suni to use in training.
“She goes to the gym and practices, but we don’t have a balance beam here,” he explained. “So I didn’t have the money for a real balance beam, so I built one for her.”
That was when she was younger. However, her father explained, “The beam is still there.”
![Suni Lee: What accident left the Olympic athlete's father paralyzed? 13 Suni Lee doing gymnastics tryouts on June 30, 2024.](https://thegurumedia.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/0726_sunilee_01-831x1024.jpg)
![Suni Lee: What accident left the Olympic athlete's father paralyzed? 14 Suni Lee doing gymnastics tryouts on June 30, 2024.](https://thegurumedia.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/0726_sunilee_01-831x1024.jpg)
Both Suni Lee and her father John Lee have recovered from accidents that left them injured.
Suni Lee’s 2021 gold medal came only after years of hard work and recovery. She suffered a leg and foot injury that kept her out of action for two months.
In 2019, father John Lee suffered a catastrophic — and less unusual — injury with horrific results.
He fell down a ladder. The resulting injuries caused paralysis from the chest down. This is a life-altering catastrophe.
![Suni Lee: What accident left the Olympic athlete's father paralyzed? 15 Suni Lee on July 25, 2024 flying through the air.](https://thegurumedia.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/0726_sunilee_04-1024x683.jpg)
![Suni Lee: What accident left the Olympic athlete's father paralyzed? 16 Suni Lee on July 25, 2024 flying through the air.](https://thegurumedia.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/0726_sunilee_04-1024x683.jpg)
John Lee’s serious fall happened just before Suni was to compete in Kansas City for the national championship.
Suni was thinking about dropping out, worried about her father who was injured after the accident. However, he encouraged her to go.
She did this and came in second place, behind only the legendary Simone Biles. When Suni won gold on the uneven bars at the 2019 U.S. Championships (while dealing with her own injury, no less), she dedicated the triumph to her father.
![Suni Lee: What accident left the Olympic athlete's father paralyzed? 17 Suni Lee and other Olympic superstars in June 2024.](https://thegurumedia.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/0726_sunilee_05-1024x683.jpg)
![Suni Lee: What accident left the Olympic athlete's father paralyzed? 18 Suni Lee and other Olympic superstars in June 2024.](https://thegurumedia.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/0726_sunilee_05-1024x683.jpg)
Although John Lee’s injury was horrific, he survived to cheer on his daughter during the 2021 Olympics. And now, for the 2024 Olympics.
Suni Lee knows her father didn’t let the accident make his support for her wane.
Her entire family is beaming with pride as she competes in Paris. And so is all of America.