1.1A Senate resolution
1.2recognizing the achievements of Sunisa Lee at the 2020 Summer Olympics.
1.3WHEREAS, those who demonstrate the skill, athleticism, and sportsmanship necessary to compete in individual
1.4and team sports at the Olympics inspire awe and promote unity among viewers across the state, the nation, and the
1.5world; and
1.6WHEREAS, Sunisa "Suni" Lee was born and raised in St. Paul by her father John Lee and mother Yeev Thao
1.7who came to America as refugees from Laos. Suni lives in East Side St. Paul, and graduated from South St. Paul High
1.8School; and
1.9WHEREAS, on July 29, 2021, Suni won the women's gymnastics all-around gold medal at the 2020 Summer
1.10Olympics, simultaneously becoming the first Minnesotan and Hmong American to win an individual gold medal in
1.11gymnastics; and
1.12WHEREAS, Suni began training as a gymnast at the age of six at the Midwest Gymnastics Center in Little
1.13Canada, Minnesota. She sought the opportunity to create friendships and develop new skills, initially training on a
1.14wooden beam constructed by her father in the backyard of their family home. Suni reached the national stage just six
1.15years later in 2015, when she competed in the Women's Junior Olympic Level 10 National Championships and placed
1.16fourth on the uneven bars; and
1.17WHEREAS, Suni has subsequently competed on a national and international level numerous times and she
1.18took on new leadership roles at the delayed 2020 Summer Olympics in Tokyo, Japan. Her performance in a challenging
1.19routine in the Games inspired and challenged her teammates and helped secure a silver medal for the United States
1.20women's all-around gymnastics team, a bronze medal in the individual uneven bar competition, and a gold medal in
1.21the individual all-around competition; and
1.22WHEREAS, the State of Minnesota and City of St. Paul proclaimed July 30 as Sunisa Lee Day; and
1.23WHEREAS, Suni's accomplishments represent her own resilience and the perseverance of the Hmong-American
1.24community. Her dreams, actualized through the support of her family and community, have provided an inspiration
1.25to people of all ancestries around the world and have made her a point of pride for all Minnesotans; and
1.26NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED by the Senate of the State of Minnesota that it commends Sunisa
1.27Lee of St. Paul, Minnesota, on her remarkable performance at the 2020 Summer Olympics, extends congratulations to
1.28her teammates and coach, and offers warm wishes for her promising future.
2.1BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the Secretary of the Senate is directed to prepare an enrolled copy of
2.2this resolution, to be authenticated by the Secretary's signature and that of the Chair of the Senate Rules and
2.3Administration Committee, and transmit it to Sunisa Lee.

Cal R. LudemanSecretary of the Senate

Paul E. GazelkaChair, Senate Committee onRules and Administration

John A. HoffmanState Senator, District 36

Foung HawjState Senator, District 67

Karla BighamState Senator, District 54