The next article first appeared in Inside Gymnastics journal’s 2022 NCAA Commemorative Problem
The Suni Issue
By Christy Sandmaier
Suni Lee is the 2020 Olympic All-Round champion and the 2022 NCAA All-Round runner up. She’s a celeb and a student-athlete. She’s a job mannequin, a hero, and a real inspiration influencing so many younger athletes around the globe. She was named one in all Time Journal’s “100 Most Influential Folks” as one of many “Pioneers” alongside world leaders, athletes, artists, entrepreneurs and different distinguished figures. In Could, Auburn awarded her Scholar-Athlete of the Year.
With the entire glitter and gold, Suni can also be at first a human being balancing a world she by no means anticipated below the evident highlight and a typically unforgiving social media stage. It’s a steadiness that may certainly proceed to evolve as she charts her subsequent steps in gymnastics and in life.
In Ladies’s NCAA Gymnastics, there’s by no means been an athlete with so many nice expectations positioned upon her earlier than she even set foot within the gymnasium at Auburn. With the title of finest on the earth hers, world recognition and a wealth of alternatives earlier than her together with substantial monetary acquire, Lee was anticipated to navigate her freshman 12 months completely. And she or he virtually did.
Nevermind her complete life prior had been devoted to creating the Olympic crew. Nevermind her schedule was something however regular and he or she’d by no means lived away from house. Freshman 12 months will be arduous and difficult for any faculty pupil, however think about doing it with the complete world watching.
Not solely did Suni stand within the silver medal place in Fort Price, she helped lead her crew to its first-ever look within the NCAA Championship ultimate the place they completed fourth. All through the season, she received seven All-Round titles, was Auburn’s first gymnast to attain a ten, and set this system All-Round report at 39.825. And she or he did it following a fall season of Dancing with the Stars and numerous journeys throughout the county to stroll purple carpets, settle for awards, chat it up on the late night time speak present circuit, and fulfill sponsorship expectations. “The Suni Issue” grew to become a headline, a theme throughout faculty gymnastics each time she entered the sector as all of us waited to see what report can be damaged subsequent, what number of 10s she would rating and the way excellent she can be. It was thrilling and actual. And it was unfathomable stress.
Because the season progressed, her ever-growing affect was obvious throughout platforms. Auburn noticed report crowds with raucous pupil sections and constant competitors success they beforehand hadn’t. Her social media numbers soared once more and new followers adopted the game. She was cheered on for each success, and critiqued for each minor misstep – whether or not a uncommon mistake in competitors or an interview soundbite gone mistaken.
It’s all created a very difficult life for a university freshman who grew to become an in a single day sensation only a few months earlier.
“There’s so many individuals watching me,” she advised ESPN in March, noting she discovered help in her crew through the robust moments. “I wanted to be part of a crew to seek out my love for the game once more with the intention to maintain getting higher,” Lee says. “I wanted to considerably be regular.”
On March 31, the day of the Auburn Regional, she shared a screenshot of her journal. “Remove the Doubt” it mentioned. It was a poignant and uncooked phrase from the reigning Olympic All-Round Champion and spoke volumes about her mindset, private drive and the burden of expectations she felt. “Management the Controllables”… “Give Your self Grace.”
For now, her sights appear set on coaching in the direction of one other Olympic Video games and touchdown in Paris in 2024, and doing all of it whereas competing for the Tigers. If she does it, will probably be one more extraordinary game-changer in gymnastics. If she doesn’t, it’s utterly her selection. She’s an intriguing determine in our sport and has already achieved the best success on the competitors flooring.
In a season made up of so many unbelievable moments, seeing Suni’s journey of perseverance and willpower will proceed to shine as one of many brightest we’ve seen, and is hers alone to personal. Her Auburn household has embraced her, NCAA Gymnastics loves her, and we’re so excited to see what’s subsequent for this extraordinary girl.
As ESPN Commentator Kathy Johnson Clarke advised us, for every part she does and for every part she is, Suni Lee is particular in her personal manner, and actually “Sunique!”