Stef

   Welcome to the Voice in Sport Podcast. Today we are talking with the Olympic gymnast who won the all around individual gold medal at the Tokyo Olympics. Suni Lee. Suni also competed in NCAA Division one gymnastics at Auburn University. She was named S E C Freshman of the Year and helped Auburn to the program's most decorated season.

As a partner with the Voice in Sport Foundation and Clif Bar, Suni shares her passion for advocacy work as an outspoken advocate for the Hmong community she shares the power that representation and role models have both in and out of sport. Today, Suni shares the expectations growing up as a Hmong woman,

Suni

"Being Hmong American there's just been such a standard with like how young girls grow up compared to how young boys grow up. we're kind of raised to cook clean, be the mom of the house, the wife, like you're just supposed to do everything for the guy.And I didn't like that."

Stef

And by way of her athletic career, she has redefined what being Hmong woman can mean.

Suni

"People come up to me all the time, like a lot of Hmong American women, they're like, you raised the standards. Like you've changed the culture. Like you've pushed people to go and be something bigger and to follow their dreams."

Stef

Suni goes on to share her 2020 Olympic experience and what it was like when she was unexpectedly called up to compete in the individual all around.

Suni

"I didn't warm up a floor routine. I literally didn't warm anything in the bag."

Stef

And she empowers us to have confidence and trust as we pursue our own journeys.

Suni

"You are where you're supposed to be right now, so just calm down. Like you've done everything you can do, trust your body, trust your mind, like you're doing everything right. So I was just say, be nice to yourself. Give yourself grace, be patient and just take it day by day."

Stef

If you love this podcast, please leave us a rating and review on Apple Podcasts and Spotify. And a shout out to this episode sponsor Cliff Bar for being an incredible partner advocating for girls and women in sport.

Suni, welcome to the Voice in Sport Podcast.

Suni

Thank you. I'm so excited.

Stef

You are an Olympian, a world champion, and an NCAA champion, and your accomplishments as a gymnast are absolutely incredible. And you've publicly shared that your gymnastics started way back in Minnesota, in your own backyard, where your dad, John Lee, had built you a balance beam. Can you share with us your very first memory of falling in love with the sport of gymnastics?

Stef

I remember when I was younger I was always like bouncing off the walls and I was constantly watching, like gymnastics on YouTube, always watching Nastia, the 2008 Olympics. I was constantly watching and eventually I would ask my dad oh, can you teach me how to do a back flip?

Like he would flip me all the time we both didn't know what we were doing, but like we'd be standing on the bed and he'd try and spot me and it was just kind of like a bonding moment. And I feel like that's when I really fell in love with the sport. And that's when my mom was like, okay, we're putting her in gymnastics.

Like she found a friend that knew a friend that worked at the gym, and I got started there and I just haven't stopped since.

Stef

So what role did your parents play in the love of gymnastics for you? Was that something that they were themselves into as a young kid themselves, or was it fully from watching TV that you saw and fell in love?

I think it was fully from watching TV and I was really young, so I didn't really get that. We were like creating a bond and it was something that we've shared.

And also like being Hmong American there's just been such a standard with like how young girls grow up compared to how young boys grow up. So it was different. And then putting me in gymnastics was like this really big thing and I was constantly spending time in the gym and we just learned to adapt to it.

But I think they wanted me to live a different life than they lived, which I'm really grateful for because I wouldn't be able to do the things I have been able to do if they didn't.

Stef

Your parents have an incredible story, right? They immigrated from Laos and you are the first Hmong American gymnast ever. So you proudly have used your platform really to bring more visibility to the culture and the Hmong community. How has that been part of developing who you are as a person and as an athlete?

Suni

It's helped me grow a lot actually. And just seeing all of the feedback that I've gotten after the Olympics and how people come to me and support me has been super amazing. I have people coming up to me all the time oh, people know who we are now. They know that we're Hmong. They know what Hmong is because of you.

And I just think it's truly incredible because when I was growing up, it was oh, what are you're Hmong? I was like, yeah, like I'm Hmong. Even when I was younger it's not like a sense of embarrassment, but it's like nobody knew who I was, so I never wanted to share it, so now I publicly talk about it and I think it's really cool how people know what we are and where we come from.

Stef

You know, there's several clans across the US that settled but the largest is residing in Minneapolis St. Paul. So tell me a little bit about that culture and like how they've supported you throughout your journey.

Suni

It's really cool. I think it has definitely, like me going to the Olympics and just shining a light on the Hmong Americans has helped us as a community. Like I feel like we're a lot together now, and they've always come and support me. Like we didn't have much money growing up, so it was kind of hard for my parents to pay for my tuition, my leos.

So having them there, like we would throw fundraisers, everybody would come. My mom would cook. It was just like a potluck, like like people would bring food. My parents would cook. It would just be a really fun time. There would be sometimes where I would sing for them or I would do flips. Like it was different every time, but the support was always there.

Stef

And so what is the perspective on sport in the Hmong community for young women versus young men? Is it encouraged on both sides? And what do you hope to really advocate for as part of that community?

Suni

That's where I felt it was like really important to advocate for the younger women, the younger boys too. But I feel like for the women especially, just because we're kind of raised to cook clean, be the mom of the house, the wife, like you're just supposed to do everything for the guy.

And I didn't like that. Like my mom was a volleyball player and my dad played soccer, so my parents, I dunno, they're very traditional and I think that I'm just super grateful that they gave me this opportunity because now I can use it to help other women.

Stef

I think it's so important. You've done such an incredible job, I think being a role model for so many young girls, and we're gonna talk about it later, but now you're all the way back to where you were and you're back in Minnesota training around all the people in your community. So that must just be so inspiring that they've seen somebody from your community really succeed, which is amazing.

Suni

Yeah, it's been incredible to see.

Stef

So let's go then through your career journey a little bit and understand how did you get to the Olympics and then win that gold medal and then you went to college.

So it's not often that we talk about the journey in this order, but in gymnastics you start really young and you actually committed to Auburn when you were 14, which is also just like incredibly young. I have a daughter who's nine, so I'm thinking, wow, that's like in five years.

Suni

Yeah.

Stef

Anyway, she's up to here. So I think that the sport of gymnastics is a pretty young sport. And so you end up having to really develop a pretty tough mindset really young and early on. So I wanna go into sort of how you became so strong and focused at such a young age. Growing up you, you trained at the Midwest Gymnastics Center and you were coached by Jess Graba. Can you share with us a little bit his coaching philosophy and how it impacted your mindset as an athlete?

Suni

So Jess has been my main coach. He's the one that travels with me everywhere I go, just because I'm only allowed to have one coach. But really I have two coaches. So Allie is his wife and she also did gymnastics. But not a lot of people know that she's my coach, just because I'm always with Jess.

So it's funny, we always joke around about it. But they have played an incredible role. They have taught me basically everything I need to know. I've spent more time with them probably than I spent with my actual family, just because growing up, like I was spending eight to 12 hours in the gym every single day.

Like even if I wasn't training, I was doing school at the gym. So I would be in the gym from eight to 8:00 PM and it was always with them. Their philosophy I'd say is really smart. I mean, we communicate a lot. Let's just say that. We communicate a lot just because I'm the one doing the gymnastics, so I know how my body feels like when I'm going through the air, I know what I'm seeing. They don't, so they're always like, oh, how does that one feel? Like they coach like that way rather than just pointing out what I'm doing wrong and telling me what to do. And I think that's really important just because it helps create a bond and they know how I'm feeling, like they know me more than I know myself at this point.

Stef

Absolutely, and it's incredible that you've had that supportive environment at such a young age. What advice do you have for girls who maybe don't feel like they have that supportive coach in place currently for themselves?

Suni

I would say to just use your voice and communicate because you're the one doing the gymnastics. You feel your body, you feel everything. So I would just say to keep communicating. Use your voice. Tell them what you think is right, what you think is wrong.

Stef

And then when do you think about like how you developed such a strong mindset at such a young age? What did you work on with your coaches at that young age of 8, 9, 10, 11? Do you remember working on your mindset versus like only focusing on like the physical component of gymnastics and what did that look like at that young age?

Suni

Oh my gosh. I can't even tell you how many days I spent in the gym crying and just cause I was a very stubborn kid and I always thought I was right. I never wanted to do what I was told. So my coaches and I definitely spend a lot of time like trying to communicate and. Just get things in order, because I was always like, Nope, I'm not doing that today.

Nope. I was just so stubborn. So it has definitely taught me to be a lot more patient and to just kinda let my body do its thing, trust myself because I've been doing it for so long. I've done so many numbers.

Stef

Can you think of any specific strategies that you have like now worked on that throughout your career that you use to really gain that mental toughness versus the physical side?

Suni

I do a lot of visualizing. I also do a lot of journaling now, writing down the things that I feel just speaking out loud. Like even if I'm talking to myself it just feels nice to talk out loud. I'm not afraid to say that I'm scared or not afraid to say what I want, because in my mind, if you can't say it, or if you can't, if you're scared to be afraid, then how are you ever gonna get there.

Stef

Absolutely. Well, And it can be really hard sometimes if you're not feeling like a hundred percent confident or even just comfortable with the coach around you or your support system. So what advice do you have to young girls who might be finding it hard to speak up and communicate with how they're feeling whether that's about their bodies or their emotional state?

Suni

I would just say take a step back and realize if this is what you want, then you have to do everything you can to get there. Everybody's supporting you. Just look at all of your supporters. I usually go to my parents, my friends, my family, spend a lot of time with them, talk about how I feel, and then eventually I just create that bond with everyone so they know that I'm feeling some type of way so they know how to help me.

Stef

When you think back about that, those younger years between like ages eight and 14 really before you made that national team level, what were your biggest challenges that now looking back, you could share with the younger generation and maybe provide some advice or guidance?

Suni

I think my biggest struggles were I w I get nervous a lot and when I get nervous I tend to just shy away from it. And I also used to talk really negatively to myself, tell myself I'm not very good or I'm never going to get there. And that just didn't help me. But I now, I just I come constantly giving myself like positive feedback, like giving myself grace because I am a very impatient person.

So once I learned you are where you're supposed to be right now, so just calm down. Like you've done everything you can do, trust your body, trust your mind, like you're doing everything right. So I was just say, be nice to yourself. Give yourself grace, be patient and just take it day by day.

Stef

I love that you also journal and you do the visualization. How do you integrate that into your like weekly routine as an athlete?

Suni

So I always visualize, like actually before I go to sleep, it helps me a lot. This is what I did like before the last Olympics, since I'd never been to like an Olympics before. But I've watched so many. I would always like envision myself being at the Olympics, competing on beam, competing on bars, like just doing all of my floor routines, everything, all of my routines at the Olympics.

And it's so funny cuz every time I do it's like a big spotlight, just like on the beam, on the bar. Just to make myself feel nervous and it would make me start sweating. I'm like, I've never even been there before. But I think that's how I actually did so well at the Olympics because I've like already envisioned myself there.

Stef

Absolutely. It's such a powerful technique that like sports psychologists work on with athletes, and if you can work that into your routine every day or every week and feel that pressure and that nervousness, and understand that's excitement, that actually is a good thing. Then when you get into the real thing, it's maybe a little easier.

Suni

Yeah. And like I've always said, "I hate being nervous. I hate this feeling. I hate feeling butterflies," but my coaches are like, "That's good. That means you care. That means you wanna do well." And I'm like, "Okay." So now I'm like, "Oh, I love being nervous." It just, it gives me like a thrill now it's so exciting.

Stef

One of the most important things, as we know for young girls to keep them in sport is confidence. And often it can be really hard at that young age when maybe you're not yet to your prime, right? Or you're not yet making the goals or the competitions that you really are aiming for.

And you already talked about this a little bit, but like, how do you build confidence as a young girl, especially when you're not quite yet at the level that you wanna be? Or maybe you're not seeing the success yet as fast as somebody else that's on your team.

Suni

Yeah, I've definitely learned a lot from being a gymnast because I think in gymnastics especially, like you're gonna have a lot more failure than you are gonna have success, and I had to learn that the hard way. I went to every meet, I have probably only won like five or six real competitions just because like when I was younger I got so nervous and I never had confidence in myself.

I was always constantly doubting "Oh, I don't think I can do this," or just talking bad to myself. And as I've gotten older, I've learned that like I just can't do that. So now I just don't think about it. I'm like, "Okay, if you don't think about falling, you're not gonna fall." Just do what I'm told to do what I'm, what I've been practicing, and I'm gonna be fine.

Stef

Well, And there's a, a really cool story that you have talked about before, which is like your rituals that you have and the kind of pre-competition things that you do in order to gain that confidence. And one of those rituals is with your father before competitions. So can you share with us about the origin of these pre-me pep talks and, and what are the takeaways? What is he telling you?

Suni

So I listen to my dad, obviously, because he's my dad and he's been going through a lot, especially like after his accident, it opened up my eyes and I go to him for all of my advice. He can't do anything. So I'm like, okay. Like it could be way worse. Like I could be way worse.

I could be like dad right now, but I'm not. So he's always like, just go out there, have fun, and just stop worrying about it. You're gonna be fine. You gonna win. And I'm like, dad. I'm like, no scared. But he's like, just go and have fun. And I think that's one of the most important things because I just get so caught up in the moment that I forget to have fun.

But when I do have fun, it calms me down a lot and I always end up doing my best when I'm out there not thinking about falling or something like that. And it's helped me in so many ways.

Stef

Well, have you ever had a really big setback when you were younger? A moment where you said, you know what? Like I'm definitely never gonna make it. And I'm sure there's a lot of girls out there that might be having that same sort of moment. So can you talk about that, what that moment was for you and how did you pull yourself back up to keep going?

Suni

I think my hardest time was the COVID year just because the Olympics had gotten pushed back and I was already ready. It was 2020. I was like, okay, I'm about to get ready for this international competition that I was going to, and I was at my peak and I was, I had all of my routines, everything. I was super excited to go to Germany and. Then they're like, oh, the Olympics is pushed back. Like we had to cancel this meet and I think I was out of the gym for three months and then I came back in my first week, I broke my ankle and that's when I was like depressed. Like just so sad. I'm like, I'm never gonna get there.

Like I've gained so much weight just because like I was just sitting in my bed like depressed, that we didn't know if the Olympics were gonna happen. And it's been something that I've been training and dreaming of for so long. So I was like, I'm never gonna get there. Like I should just quit now.

I should just get ready for college. There's no way I'm gonna make it. And I started talking to a lot of people. A lot of doctors, my parents, my coaches, they were the supportive system that I needed. They got me back to where I needed to be. It was just taking it day by day, like being patient cuz I'm like, everybody's going through the same thing.

But I couldn't focus on like social media and stuff like that. Like I had to delete all of my social media. Cause it was like, oh, we dunno if Suni's gonna make the Olympics anymore. And I'm like I can't see that right now. So yeah, just making sure that I was doing everything I could.

Stef

Well, You talked about it the power of social media, but also the detriment of social media. And we know that young girls and which is a lot of what we do here at VIS is help you support young girls in their journeys in sport. And we know that actually like comparison is one of the hardest things as an athlete, especially as a young athlete.

And social media is one of the worst places because it can make you feel like absolute high and low all within a minute. So how do you as a young professional athlete at some of these elite competitions or moments where you are feeling low, is that your advice, just delete 'em? Or if you can't delete 'em, how do you approach it from a mindset perspective?

Suni

I have a really bad habit of going on Twitter and looking up my name and seeing what everybody has to say. Uh, So that was probably one of my, like, the most like toxic thing I've done to myself going up into the last Olympics. Just because I'm like, oh, I need everybody to like me. I wanna see what everybody has to say.

Like, why don't these people like me just being so hard on myself? So now before meets, I delete Twitter and I delete Instagram. I don't look at it until after just because after it's fine, like you already got it over with, but beforehand I just delete it. Don't even think about it.

Stef

Amazing. You stay focused on like you and your team and your core, which I think is incredible. And it's obviously worked well because you earned a spot on the US Olympic gymnastics team, and that really happened, notably with a team win in the 2019 US World Championships, as well as two individual medals in floor and beam, alongside being the US champion in bars, bronze medalist on the floor and an all around runner up. So you, it was working for you, like what you were doing was working. So talk to us a little bit about that transition from youth gymnastics to making that elite stage. What does the training look like physically and mentally? What is that difference at that elite level once you make it there?

Suni

It was definitely a really big change because as I've gotten older too, like it's a lot harder to get as many numbers in and like just spending the same amount of time in the gym that I was spending before. Cuz when I'm younger, like my body can handle a lot more. So I was doing a lot more numbers and it was a lot more repetitive, but like now I don't have to do as many numbers because I've done so many before, which is nice.

But it was different because when I was younger, like. I guess I, I just love this sport. Like I wasn't really thinking about anything, like I wasn't thinking about all of the competitions and all of that because I didn't I was just having fun, but now it's like a lot more serious and a lot more scary, I would say.

Stef

Yeah. So when you're thinking about like the elite level it's so interesting because you're prioritizing both like being on a team and like training for team U S A and competing together, but then also competing and training as individuals. Can you talk a little bit about the dynamic of that in gymnastics? And what does it feel like at that elite level when you are a team trying to win and all around as a team, but you're also individually competing against each other? Like, how does that work in terms of staying you know, staying authentically you, but also just being an incredible teammate?

Suni

Yeah, it was really difficult, I'd say, because it's, you don't spend a lot of time with the other athletes. You're always at your home gym training by yourself or with your other teammates. So when you have to like compete to be on a team with all of the girls that you're friends with, it's hard because we all want the same spot.

But I've learned to just block it out. I'm like, oh, they're obviously, they were better than me that day. Like good for them. I should have done better. But like even when we're at the Olympics I guess I've been training with these girls for so long that you learn their work ethic.

But when you're competing as a team, it's like really different because you all have your own rituals, you all have your own things and we don't know what your rituals are. So it's just a lot of communicating and just making sure that you're there to support them, but you're not like trying to get in their way.

Let's talk about that first experience at the Olympics, right? Because you, you had this terrible injury, really bad timing. A lot of things in Covid wasn't good for all of us a really tough time to come back from that. But you did make the team and you got there and you did perform incredibly well.

So what is that sort of mindset and that preparation that you did going into the Olympics that you can teach other young athletes if they're preparing for a big competition? What did you learn about how you prepared that others can take away and learn from you?

I definitely wouldn't say it was all sunshine and rainbows. I wanted to quit probably two weeks before Olympic trials just because it was so hard. Like I was like pushing myself a lot and just doing the most because you never know, like what is gonna happen and you can't tell the future, obviously and I was working through injuries, so before going into Olympic trials, definitely one of the hardest times that I have ever had to go through. I quite literally had to quit talk with my coach and they're like, it's literally two weeks away. And I'm like, I can't do it. But it's just all about knowing what you want, and I just told myself like, I didn't come this far to just quit. Like I did everything that I could. I've been doing everything that I can and a lot of people are supporting me but I also think it's toxic in a way where I'm like, oh, I don't wanna let these people down, like they've supported me. Like I just, I can't let their money go to waste their time go to waste. So I kind did it for everybody else and I feel like that's why it's so important for me to come back this time and kind of do it for.

Stef

I mean, and thank you for being so honest about the quit talk, cuz I'm pretty sure we've all had it. And it's why we exist at Voice in Sport is to keep girls in sport. And I know you're really passionate about this too. It's why we've partnered with Cliff and the Voice in Sport Foundation cuz we're all trying to do our part to keep girls in sport.

But at that moment, like it can be really hard when you're having that quit moment. Like you're being real. And then you're being vulnerable and honest with your coaches. And I guess for all the girls out there that might be feeling vulnerable in that same state, what message would you wanna share with them if they're kind of in that moment right now?

Suni

I've always just told myself to give myself a few days to calm down. Not put so much pressure on myself. Be nice to yourself because. I've always just thought about it in a way I'm gonna regret this if I do, because this is like the only thing that's keeping me going. I've literally dropped everything, sacrificed so much. My parents have sacrificed so much for me to be able to do the thing that I love, and I'm like, I can't picture myself not doing gymnastics. So I've always just, I don't know. I've always been a type to be like, oh, I'm gonna quit. No, I'm not gonna quit. But it's just, I don't know. I just don't like when people doubt me either. And my coaches know that and I'm like, are you doubting me? So I'll prove you wrong right now. And I'll just, that's just how I work.

Stef

Well look like the ins and outs of knowing how you are working inside of your mind, I think is so powerful to share to the community, right? Because if you're a young girl out there and you're thinking about quitting sport, like you're not alone. Like sports. Sports tough, right? Everybody's thinking it, about quitting.

Suni

Yeah. I think just being really honest and vulnerable and asking yourself like, why am I doing this? Like, why am I doing this? Do I still have passion for this? Am I finding any joy? And if you've lost that joy find it again. Maybe it's another sport. Maybe it's just by taking a break for a couple days.

Just remember your why. That's what I always do. I'm like, why am I doing this? Oh, yeah. Because I wanna be successful. I wanna have a successful future. I wanna be able to say that I did this for myself. So that's what I was. Just remember your why.

Elizabeth    

Thank you for listening to the Voice in Sport podcast. My name is Elizabeth Martin, a VIS Creator and producer of this week's episode  We'd like to make a special shout out to this episode's sponsor Clif Bar. Whether you're warming up or going all out, dig into the delicious baked in goodness of Clif Bar made with wholesome ingredients like nuts and organic rolled oats, it's a tasty way to fuel your adventure. Cliff, the ultimate energy bar. Get 20% off your next order a clifbar.com with Code VOICEINSPORT23. This offer expires December 31st, 2023. If you enjoy hearing from Suni Lee and would like to get the chance to talk to athletes like her, go to voiceinsport.com/join to sign up for free membership and gain access to exclusive episodes, mentorship sessions, and other weekly content.

Don't forget to follow us on Instagram, Twitter, and TikTok @voiceinsport. Now let's get back to the episode.

Stef

 You are such an accomplished gymnast and you could easily stick to just competing and continuing to crush it on the mat, the bars and the beam. But for you, you have this super infectious and positive dedication to advocacy work and a huge passion to keep girls in sport. So can you talk a little bit about what you're most passionate about in terms of advocacy and why it's so important for young girls to stay in sport?

Suni

I think like mental health and confidence and like positivity. Just because like when I was younger, like I guess I never really had older girls to talk about it and like in gymnastics, like I can't just talk to anybody about it. So I've always just learned to talk to like my coaches or just talk to myself because I was always the one doing it. And I think that being somebody that can advocate for the younger girls and have all of these experiences is super incredible, they can always come to me, talk to me about anything, ask me anything, and I'll always be there to help.

Stef

I love that. Well, At Voice in Sport we focus on mentorship and mental health really by offering access to professional athletes like you where you can get mentored by the professional athletes. We have over 250 pro-athlete mentors on the platform from all sports, right? And also 80 experts in sports psychology and nutrition.

And the idea of the platform is really gets after what you're talking about, like how do you advocate to have access for people who might not normally have it. Like I grew up in Alaska and it was super hard to be around any powerful women role models. I don't, I didn't even know what a sports psychologist was when I was younger.

So I think just, yeah. So having that access, like you're saying and really advocating for the girls and the way you're doing it now by showing up every day and showing them that it's possible and training with them is just so inspiring. So can you talk about just like what it means to have mentorship and access what do you think that's gonna do for the future of these young girls' lives?

Suni

I think it's super important to have mentors and people that we look up to, especially like when you're using your voice in your sport. Because when I was younger I didn't really have a lot of people that looked like me. There was never Hmong American to ever compete in the Olympics. So I never really had anybody that I could lean on or go and talk to, and I think.

That's one of the most important things for me right now is like being an advocate for all of these younger like Hmong women that want to be somebody and want to be a gymnast. Not even necessarily a gymnast, but I guess take a different route than what a traditional Hmong American woman would grow up to be.

And it's super important to see it because if you can see it, then you can be it.

Stef

Absolutely. I love that you're so focused on that and your your partnership with Clif Bar and the Voice in Sport Foundation is really all about advocating for girls and for women and making sure that they have access to the different resources, right? Whether that's mental cha mental or physical, or even societal challenges.

And you're facing all of them, right? You face them your whole life and now you're really helping these young girls so that they have a different future. And I love that you're coming from a community that you're already back in it now again in Minnesota, and it must be just so special to be back there. So what are some of the things you're working on in the community that you're really excited to talk about?

Suni

Well That was, I guess one of the reasons why I wanted to work with Cliff and Voice in Sport Foundation just because like I knew that I wanted to advocate and be somebody to other people. And like I literally told my managers, I'm like, oh, yep, we have to do that one, just because I never really had anybody to look up to.

So this is just a different experience and this another learning experience. And I feel like in the future, like I just want to be able to help others with mental health and to keep uplifting and upbringing people to be in their sport.

Stef

Okay, let's talk a little bit about if there's a moment where you doubted yourself because you didn't see anybody who looked like you.

Suni

I would always ask my mom like, what is Hmong? What is being Hmong? And I think that even just on this journey, like I've learned so much about my own culture and like how people grown up. And that's why it's so important to keep talking about it because when I was younger, we had to cook and clean. Like even when I was like eight, my mom's like, go do the dishes, go cook something. And I'm like, what? Like after a long day of practice, I'm like, mom, I'm not doing the dishes. Like I just practiced for like eight hours straight. And my sister is even they grew up not the same way as me.

I guess my younger sister did gymnastics, but when I look at all of my cousins and stuff, they're all like, they just they cook and clean, like they stay at home. And that's just not like how I wanted to live my life. I just, I guess wanted to be something more.

And that's why it's so cool because like after the Olympics, like people come up to me all the time, like a lot of Hmong American women, they're like, you raised the standards. Like you've changed the culture. Like you've pushed people to go and be something bigger and to follow their dreams. And I think that's like why it's so important.

Stef

I think it's so incredibly important, and it's not just in the professional level, right? It's also in the collegiate level. Only 2% of college division one athletes are Asian, which is absolutely crazy. So representation needs to advance in, in all of the levels, right? From the elite to college, to youth sports, and I think having visibility like to women like yourself is going to be huge for these young girls. Representation matters and I think that a lot of people don't realize that until you see it.

Suni 

Absolutely.

Stef

Let's talk about the future of gymnastics. We know that USA Gymnastics is going through a lot of changes right now as it should. They're working on resetting the foundation to create a safer experience for girls. If you were sitting in front of USA Gymnastics board today, what are some of the things that you would want them to do differently as they build a better future for the sport?

Suni

 I think just being a more positive environment gymnastics has been a very looked at in a very toxic way, not a great way. And I think that over the past, like couple years, it has. Not couple years, I'd say like the past year it has gotten a lot better. Like There's a lot of past Olympians coming back.

Like you see Jordan Chiles, Jade Carey and like how they react with each other now. And it looks like we're ha like we're having a lot of fun now. And I think that's something that's super important because when I was in elite was always like, oh, you can't laugh you can't talk.

Like you have to just focus. And it was like, like it, it's scary. It's very scary because it's okay, I have to watch like my every single move like I would. And I'm like a goofy, I'm, I like to have fun. I like to laugh and I like to joke around. I love to see my friends. So whenever I was at the competitions, I'm always like, like we could always talk like in the bathroom or something never really on the floor. So I think that it's been a lot more positive lately and that's something that I'm really excited and looking forward to for when I come back. Cause I know that all of these girls want the same things. We all wanna have fun. We're all really excited to be there. We're excited to see each other, so it's just. A lot better, but I think for the future, just a more positive environment and also listening to your athletes, because we could only say so much before you actually do something. And I feel like lately though, we've been trying to use our voices a lot more, and I think they're starting to catch on.

Stef

Thank you for sharing. And it's so important to have the voice of athletes at the center of resetting this foundation, so I appreciate you sharing that and also just being a great role model, right? Really using your voice to make sure that there are the right resources in place for young girls and a better environment. I know one of the reasons why you're part of this partnership is because there are a lot of inequities for girls and those inequities show up at every single level across the sports ecosystem, but particularly for young girls, you see it show up in middle school, high school and college.

So let's talk about why you joined forces with Clif Bar and Voice in Sport Foundation, really, and how we're getting after this effort.

Suni

Well, I thought it was super cool that Clif and Voice in Sport Foundation are going around and teaching younger girls about Title IX, and that's why it was so important to me and super cool because I actually, I went to Auburn, so I actually took a couple classes and learned a lot about Title IX and their rights just because It's not really talked about. So not a lot of people know, and I think it just all starts from education and talking about it.

Stef

Absolutely and one of our sponsors of our bill that's gonna be reintroduced in June is Alma Adams out of North Carolina, and she said something really incredible last year when we were on Co Capitol Hill, which was, if you don't know your rights, it's hard to fight for them. And so that's really why we're focused on education and so excited to have you involved.

Suni

Yeah, I'm super excited.

Stef

Okay, let's go all the way back to that moment before you had sort of those successes, but you did make it to the Olympics, you are there, and then some pretty unexpected things happened. The withdrawal of Simone Biles from five outta six Olympic events. It must have impacted your perspective on the competition, but also just like your state of mind. So what did you do in that moment to stay focused and calm your nerves and like really rise above?

Suni

So we had just finished vault and she, I remember she like went but went to the back and we huddled up as a team, like crying. We're like, what is going on? Just panicking. I didn't know what to do. I was shaking, like having a full-on panic attack just because this is the Olympics. This is the moment I've dreamed of my whole life. And I'm like, what is happening? This is on live tv. So many people are watching this right now. What am I supposed to do? I didn't warm up a floor routine. I literally didn't warm anything in the bag.

So I'm like, okay, like we have to think fast, so we kind of huddled as a team, and we're like, we got this. We're not gonna let this affect us. We're gonna do this for Simone because she can't do it, so we're gonna do it for her. And I think it was just like, in that moment, all we could do was be a team and be there for each other, support each other.

We didn't care how each other did. Like we were all there for the same reason and we just wanted to make everybody proud. And I think we did exactly that. But then I had to go to bars and I was like, oh my gosh, I had to do the best routine of my life, otherwise this could either go really bad or really good.

And I focused, I did my thing on the side. I kind of went out to the back and I was talking to my coach and I was like, I'm really like, I dunno what to do. He was like, go for the safe routine. I'm like, I'm not doing the safe routine because why would I go, why would I do the safe routine? And then I start visualizing my routine just going through the motions, standing there doing all of that. And then eventually I get a button there, I breathe. And I actually did do the best routine of my life. I got the highest score, I stuck my dismount and it went really well. And then beam was a little shaky, but floor, I was really nervous for floor because I was not supposed to do floor because Simone was supposed to do floor.

So I didn't warm up my floor routine, and then I had to go out there and I just, I tucked every pass without warmup in the 32nd touch. It was so scary. It was so scary, and also super dangerous because you should not do those hard passes without warming up.

Stef

Wow. You crushed it and obviously won the gold medal and it must have been an incredible moment for you, but there's so much preparation that you did do to get into that moment and to be able to handle that pressure. Can you walk us through what those kind of key things are?

You mentioned one already visualization and the power of sort of self-talk, but what other components had you'd been practicing for so long that got you to then this moment to be able to like really succeed in an in a pretty unpredictable environment?

Suni

I think it was really important that I had a lot of those numbers down, I had a lot of re repetition and doing a lot of numbers which helped me in that moment because in that moment I didn't know what to do.

All I could do was just put myself on the floor and tumble. So I didn't really have anything else I could do besides visualize and then just remember and trust my body.

Stef

That's incredible. Well, I love how your community back home celebrated the moment when you won gold, but in your head, what was happening and what was the first thing that came to mind when you found out you won gold?

Suni

When I won gold, I just remember the first thing that I did was I hugged my coach and I was like, I did it. Like I was crying. I was like, if there's some way I did it. And he's like, I always told you that you would win. He was like, I always knew it. And I was like, you're crazy. And then we just started crying, because he has like, he's always told me you're gonna win the Olympics.

And I'm like, And I'm like, Jess. I'm like, stop. I'm like, don't say that. Because I'm always competing for a second. Simone, we always knew that Simone was gonna win, so I was like, okay, we're just competing for a second place every single time now. That was the goal. And so he would always tell me that.

I was like, Jess, stop saying that. I'm not gonna win. So when I did, he was like, I knew it. He was like, I always told you that. And then we started crying and the first thing I could think of was my family, just because they put everything into this as much as I have. And that's the first thing that I did.

I actually, I grabbed my phone when we went in the back for the awards ceremony, and I called my parents and we're just all crying, and it was just such an amazing moment.

Stef

Well, Congratulations. It's really incredible and such a whirlwind too afterwards, right? The publicity and the media attention can be pretty overwhelming, and there's definitely an. Olympic high, and then it can be really tough on the back end of it. With that comes additional pressure and obviously a lot more visibility, which is good and bad for athletes.

So can you tell us how you navigated the bit of the frenzy after the Olympics?

Suni

That was probably one of the biggest challenges, and I was probably like in the biggest funk I've ever been in, just because I was so afraid and I didn't realize that I would get that much attention. And I think afterwards it was like super cool cause I'm like, oh my gosh, all these celebrities are following all these people know me.

Like this is the coolest thing ever. And then as time went by, after Dancing With the Stars, like I think like the thought of another Olympics was getting in my head and then having to go to college right after was one of the hardest transitions as well. So it was a lot to go through because everybody, it's like everybody was watching my move.

Like I had to be careful and it was just really scary. I was seeing what everybody was saying and letting it get to me. I also had like imposter syndrome and I was like, I shouldn't have won the Olympics anyways. And I was just being so hard on myself. And I think that's where social media was like probably the hardest thing cuz it's my job.

I can't get off of it like I, that's how I make the money, so I have to stay on it. And it was just really hard to navigate through all of it.

Stef

Well Now it's been over a year, so what advice would you have? For other Olympians who might not yet have experienced that?

I'm still trying to learn myself. So I would just say, like don't listen to the outside haters. I mean, These people are probably sitting on their couch doing nothing. You're over here doing the best that you can and making an Olympics. So they don't know your struggles, they don't know what you're going through. They don't see the hard work that you put in, and just trust that you're gonna be able to do it.

Stef

Love that. Okay. Let's talk about your transition to Auburn I mean, you did commit when you were age 14, so you knew you were going there.

What advice would you have to other girls out there that are like in the moment right now trying to decide which college to go to and which to commit to? What advice do you have now that you've been through a year?

Suni

I was really young when I committed but I've always known that I wanted to go to Auburn because my coach Jess, his twin brother, coached at Auburn. And I knew that I wanted to have that connection and to just be comfortable. I didn't wanna have to like really get to know like somebody.

And also if I did choose to, which I did to come back to the Olympics, I wanted them to be okay with that. And they're brothers, so I was like the easiest decision. But yeah, I did commit when I was really young, but I always just felt it in my heart. Like I just followed my heart. I'm like, this is where I wanna go.

I love it. It's beautiful. Academics was amazing. The school itself, I've never been to Alabama, but I was going to all of the camps and stuff, so I always knew, but I think there was a rule change. So you can't really commit when you're that age anymore. You have to be like a junior, which is good because then what you wanna do academically.

But yeah, I would just say follow your heart. That's where you're gonna be for the next four or five years of your life and you're gonna love it though, and it goes by really fast.

Stef

So right on the heels of the Olympics, you began college at Auburn University. So you're coming in with some nice medals you know, not bad. So let's talk about that transition. It wasn't a surprise but you know, you may not have known that you were about to win gold medal and then go to Auburn. So what was that transition like and what was the hardest part about transitioning to college gymnastics?

Suni

I think of, okay, so speaking of like college in like 2020, like COVID year, I think of co the covid year as a blessing in disguise, just because that's when the NIL went through. And so I always told myself that if I won the Olympics, I wouldn't go to college. I would just, I would probably stay and train and.

Train for another Olympics just because I wouldn't be able to make any money, if I were to go to college. So when the N I L passed, I was like, oh my gosh, like this is great. Like I can go to college and I can make money and have deals and it's the best of both worlds. But the transition was definitely interesting.

I've always known that I wanted to go to Auburn, but when I got there I was, I guess I was still like in the light a lot and I didn't realize like how much attention that I was gonna get. So it was kinda scary and overwhelming. But eventually I adjusted.

Stef

What was the hardest part about it? Because everybody knew who you were? Was it hard to focus or was it hard to balance, like the academics and the gymnastics commitments? What was the most difficult thing?

Suni

Well, it was kind of hard for me to go in public. Just because everybody knew who I was. Like, I'm in the south, like not a lot of, I don't know, like there's not a lot of Asian people there. Like I felt like looked like me. And so it was just like every, once people saw me it was like, oh, that's Suni.

And I couldn't go a lot of places without a security guard. I couldn't be in an actual classroom. Like I was taking online school, people found out where I lived. They were sliding notes underneath my door, knocking at my door. Like it was just stuff like that I had to get used to. It wasn't necessarily like the academics, like I was doing my school and I was staying on top of that so I could train and compete obviously, but that was like the hardest thing.

Just like not being able to, I guess be myself. I had to like put on this mask. I'm always like, oh, I have to wear makeup everywhere. I have to go now or I have to always look good. And that was probably the one thing that I didn't prepare myself for.

Stef

Yeah, absolutely. That's hard. Especially when it's maybe not the most diverse city to be in it's, it's super tough. So you just talked a little bit about the experience from a cultural perspective and also your personal experience, but what about the gymnastics is different? When you're talking about the elite stage and then division one gymnastics, which is also very incredible, but different.

What should the girls out there know about the differences between competing at those two levels?

Suni

I would say in elite gymnastics too, we focus a lot more on difficulty and execution. So we're putting the harder skills into your routine. You're doing the most numbers, like you're doing, throwing your hardest skills. And I feel like in college it goes down a little bit. I took everything outta my routine because in college we're more focused on hitting the handstands and sticking the dismount.

Like those were the two things. They're always like, hit your handstands and stick your dismount and you can get a 10. And I'm like, oh, this is easy. Like you don't have to do anything. And then once I like, so now that was like the hardest thing, like trans, like coming back into the elite world, I'm like, oh my gosh, I have to do so much more.

I feel like it honestly made me a little lazy just because like I didn't have to do anything. I wasn't spending as much time in the gym, but it was a lot of fun. I had to relearn though to like, share a bar with like teammates and like just create a bond with a team, because I never really had a team it was such an individualized sport in Elite that like, I was always by myself.

Stef

Also probably it felt like a little bit more like the team side of gymnastics versus the individual side. Would that be an accurate, accurate statement?

Suni

Yeah. Like I never really had a team, like I came from a really small gym. So I never really had a lot of teammates to train with. It was always like me by myself in the mornings with my coaches.

Stef

What was the most exciting thing of your experience now that you have finished your first year? What do you look back on now and say, "That was pretty amazing?"

Suni

I think about the team a lot now. Like when I look back I'm like, I love those girls. Like those are like my sisters. Like they supported me through everything, all of my decisions helped me through my hardest days. Like they always knew the right things to say and they just were super supportive.

So now when I'm back at home, I'm like, "Ugh, I miss the girls." I'm just trained by myself. And that's probably like the one thing, especially like. I'm very shy, like it takes me a while to open up to people and they got me outta my shell a little bit. And it was just exciting to kinda see that side of myself, even with these girls. Like just letting myself have fun and yeah, learning a lot more about myself.

Stef

If you could whisper one thing to them right now in this podcast, when they get to hear it, when it goes live, what would be one thing you, one little message that you'd wanna send to all your girls back in Auburn?

Suni

I say thank you for always supporting me. I miss you guys like crazy. I wish I was still competing with you guys, training with you guys every single day. And I know that you guys are gonna kick butt this season.

Stef

Love that. Well, Now you're training for Paris of 2024 Olympics. So what is it like coming back to train in Minnesota, your home state?

Suni

It's really exciting. I love being home. I love being with my family, being super close to all of them. Just being able to spend that time with them because I was training for the Olympics a lot and I was training probably like 40 hours a week, so I didn't really get to see my family a lot.

But now I like to spend a lot of time with them just cause I don't get to spend a lot of time with them. And it's really exciting just being in my home state. Everybody's been super supportive. People come up to me all the time like, we're rooting for you you to make it again. And it's just, it's so sweet.

Stef

What is the most common question that you get from the girls when you are there training, and I'm sure they're coming up to you and asking you lots of questions about just like your experience, what's the most common question you get and that you wanna share with other girls out there?

Suni

I think the most common question I get was, how did it feel like? And I'm like, what do you mean? They're like, how did it feel to win the Olympics? And I'm like, I like, I'm like, good. I don't know. But I never know how to answer that question just cause it was crazy like it's not how I expected it to go. And, but it's like that's where your training comes comes first because it's I wouldn't have been able to do that if I didn't have my training. Like I have younger teammates and I train with a lot of younger girls. I'm like, you got it. Like I try and uplift them, especially when they're having bad days. They're going through the stages of the mental challenges right now. And I'm always like, you got it. Just go for it. Trust it. You got it. It's the same thing.

Stef

Well, That's what I love about sport, right? You can learn from everybody around you, whether that's your coach or your peer or even somebody younger than you. So going back and being around the younger girls, is there something that you personally are getting from it, that you're gaining from being around that versus like, the college experience where everybody's your age or even the elite stage, it's just a different environment. I'm curious what it's given you.

Suni

It's kind, it's different because I feel like I'm like coaching, teaching them like, but not really, cuz I train with a lot of younger girls that wanna be elites. And if they're scared, I'm be like, I'm not like, like I'm very fearless. Like I'll go up there and do something even if I've never done it.

So I'll always go up to someone or some little will come up to me and she be like, if I do this, then you have to do it. So then, so I'm like, okay, if I do this, then you have to do it. And we kinda like have a competition, but it makes them so much better because it makes them like do their skill.

And I think that I get like a thrill out of it. And I think it's super cool and exciting that like I can be here and motivate and make somebody wanna do something because I did it. And I think that's just really cool.

Stef

 So what is one thing that you would like to see changed for the future of women's sports?

Suni

I think I really wanna see equal pay because men and women get paid differently and it's super unfair. We're all putting it in the same amount of work. And it's defeating when you see like other men not doing as much and getting paid more when we're all doing the same thing. And then representation, of course, because representation matters.

Stef

It's such great timing because we're launching a new fund that will really close the gap for women and athletes called the Side of Equity Fund at the Voice in Sport Foundation. So we're creating a pathway for brands and athletes like yourself or any fan of women's sports to donate, to close the gap for women athletes everywhere.

So it's a really exciting time and I a hundred percent agree with you. It's such an important part of the future we want to see for young girls. And lastly Voice in Sport is all about keeping young girls in sport. So our audience and our community here are girls in sport from ages 12 through 23. So when you think back really of your younger years, what is one piece of advice that you wanna share to all the girls in sport out there?

Suni

I would definitely say to have fun, trust yourself. Be nice to yourself, and give yourself grace and take it one day at a time. Nothing more, nothing less, because your average is good enough.

Stef

So great. Thank you so much, Suni. We are so excited to have you part of the Voice in Sport Foundation and also all of the great work that you're doing at Clif Bar and being such an incredible role model for the future generation. So thank you for coming on to the Voice in Sport podcast.

Thank you so much for having me. I was really excited to share my story always, and I can't wait to see what the future holds. We are cheering for you.

Suni

Thank you.

Stef    

Thank you to our sponsor of this week's episode, CLIFBar. Be sure to check out the partnership between CLIF and the Voice in Sport Foundation by heading to CLIFbar.com/values. Get 20% off your next order@clbar.com with Code Voice in Sport 23. The offer expires 12 31 23. This week's episode was produced and edited by Elizabeth Martin, a Vz creator from Emory University.

As a passionate advocate of the Hmong community and a partner with Voice in Sport Foundation in Clif Bar, Suni is a beacon of inspiration for others, proving that one's background or gender should not limit their potential. Her story highlights the significance of representation in sports and beyond.

Encouraging individuals to embrace their unique journeys, and she empowers us to trust ourselves and embrace our journeys with confidence and patience. We're so grateful to have Suni as part of the VIS community. please click on the share button in this episode and send it to another athlete that you think might enjoy the conversation.

And if you liked our conversation with Suni, please leave us a rating and review on Apple and Spotify.

 You can Follow Suni on Instagram @sunisa_. And if you're logged in to Voice in Sport, head to the feed Select advocacy, and check out our article about seven black soccer players and how they share the importance of representation in their sport.

You could also take a look at the sessions page and sign up for one of our free or paid mentoring sessions with our over 250 plus VIS mentors and 80 VIS experts. Today. We talked a lot about mentorship. Check out the 100 plus episodes we have with the top mentors around the world. And if you're interested in advocating for equal pay like Suni is, check out the Voice in Sport Foundation.

We just launched the site of equity fund to close the pay gap for women athletes everywhere. Starting this summer, our first initiative is to help close the pay gap for the women athletes heading to this year's Women's World Cup. Head to Voice in Sport foundation.org to donate and get involved and see you next week on the Voice in Sport Podcast.