In the 2020 Summer Olympic Games, Sunisa “Suni” Lee won Gold in the Women’s Gymnastics Individual All-Around, Silver in the Artistic Team All-Around, and Bronze in the Uneven Bars. Lee is an American artistic gymnast who started gymnastics at six years old and won her first gold medal at 18-years-old.

Born on March 9, 2003, in Saint Paul, Minnesota, Lee is of Hmong descent. As the first Hmong-American on Team USA, Lee represents and gives hope to the Hmong community. Her community is proud of her for becoming the first Hmong American to win a medal at the Games. Not only that but she’s become an inspiration to many young girls throughout her Olympic journey. Recently, after becoming very well-known for her accomplishments, Lee appeared on a TV show called Dancing With The Stars.

“Sunisa is an inspiration to me as a dancer because of the immense amount of work she puts into not only her gymnastics, but her dancing on Dancing With The Stars. Sometimes it can be hard to find motivation when dancing but Sunisa shows that hard work can help you succeed and be the best you can be!” Arcadia High School Orchesis Dancer, Sophomore Hannah Hokanson expressed.

According to abc.com, Lee also represents the Hmong community, as she will be the first Hmong American to appear on the show. In the show, a celebrity is paired up to dance with a professional dancer. Lee is paired with Australian-American professional dancer, Sasha Farber, making a great duo. As for the dancing, the show is operated so that each pair of dancers have a different style each week, which will be performed in front of a panel of judges and a live audience. On the next day, results are revealed, to see who will be leaving the competition.

“It feels really good to see Sunisa on Dancing with the Stars! You can tell she brings so much passion to everything she does, and I love to watch her dances,” Hokanson also shared.

Lee and Farber started the show off on week one dancing with the style Jive, as they performed to “STAY” by The Kid LAROI & Justin Bieber in the premiere. Dressed in a sparkly pink dress with heels, the electrifying routine was full of turns, footwork, jumps, and a dip at the end.

Next, on week two, the duo danced the Cha Cha to “I Like It” by Cardi B, Bad Bunny & J Balvin. Lee started off the routine running out on stage with her gold medal, and placed it on the judges’ table. The routine was full of specific hand movements along with many turns. Just like the first performance, the routine ended with a dip pose. At the end of it, Lee and Farber embraced in a warm hug.

As for Hokanson, this was her favorite dance to watch: “I loved the song and I really enjoyed the energy she brought to the performance! Her movements looked clean and precise, and more importantly, it looked like she was having a lot of fun while dancing.”

Week three topped both weeks, as Lee danced the Foxtrot to “I’m A Slave 4 U” by Britney Spears on Dancing with the Stars Britney Night. The two danced in a lime-green cheetah like pattern, and hit off the routine with Lee doing a handstand on a bench. Like the previous routine, the dance included many turns, along with intricate foot movements. The dance ended with a surprise, with Lee pushing Farber, who went sliding across the floor.

The last and most recent routine performed by the duo was to a Salsa. The two danced to “Colombia, Mi Encanto” from the movie “Encanto” on Dancing with the Stars Disney Week: Heroes Night. Their costumes were full of bright colors like bright pink and blue, covered in flowers. Special movements in the dance included a handstand with Farber holding up Lee’s feet and a thrilling cartwheel.

Lee and Farber have made it through four weeks of the Dancing with the Stars competition, and many are waiting to see how far they’ll go, and if they’ll win it all!

Photo by SERECKI on COMMONS.WIKIMEDIA.ORG