DEDICATED & BOLD | SUNI LEE
Avid readers of Athleisure Mag know that we enjoy sharing interviews with amazing Olympians with you! As we countdown to Paris 2024, we took a few moments to catch up with 3X Olympic Medalist for Team USA Gymnastics (G1, S1, B1), Suni Lee! We enjoyed seeing her fulfill her Olympic dreams at Tokyo 2020.
As she prepares to take on joining the Olympic team for Paris 2024, we wanted to find out about her passion for the sport, how she got into it, what the next few weeks look like in terms of qualifications, how she goes about training, what she is looking forward to should she make the team, and more!
ATHLEISURE MAG: When was the moment when you fell in love with gymnastics and what do you enjoy about this sport?
SUNI LEE: Well, I started gymnastics when I was 6 years old. It just started by watching a lot of YouTube videos. My dad and I were always constantly trying new flips and then my mom just decided that it would be a great idea to put me in gymnastics because at the rate that I was going, it was getting a little dangerous in the house. I just started competing and I moved up levels pretty quickly and that’s just when I knew that I loved gymnastics and I stuck by it ever since.
AM: Oh wow!
How has that journey been with you competing at Auburn University and then obviously being on the Olympic team during Tokyo 2020 and being a 3X Olympic Medalist?
SL: The journey has been absolutely amazing. You know, a lot of people talk about winning the Olympics, but I honestly think that the journey has been the most important part and the most memorable part, just because it took all of those years and all of the work that I put in to make it to the Olympics. Going straight to college right after that was such an amazing blessing – I absolutely loved college and getting to have a team and just having a team environment. The Auburn community was just truly amazing! You will never find something like that ever again and I’m just so blessed to have been a part of that.
AM: What’s that feeling like when you realized that you’re going to represent our country in Tokyo at the Olympics?
SL: I just remember being in shock! It felt so surreal, I was just over the moon. I was so happy and it just felt like everything was finally going into its place. I just worked so hard for it and for it to just be able to happen and to just be like in the palm of my hands, was the best feeling ever.
AM: A lot of people don’t understand that there are a lot of things that happen podium to podium. So what does your schedule look like in terms of what you are doing for qualifications or meets to make your way to hopefully being at Paris 2024?
SL: So we have a bunch of qualification competitions coming up. So we start off with US Classic and then from US Classic, we qualify to Championships and then Championships there are a number of people pulled from the top of competition which allows you to qualify for Olympic Trials. For that, I believe that the top 2 are automatically put into the Olympic team. Then the remainder of the people are selected so it’s very competitive.
AM: I can’t even imagine!
How is it for you to be able to train, to be able to be part of this and to juggle your personal life? Because obviously you do more than just being a gymnast. So how do you do all of this and to keep it together.
SL: Yeah, it’s been a little difficult because obviously it’s like everybody’s first time doing this so we’re all just trying to do it together. It’s been super exciting just to be able to have the opportunity to work with other brands, but then also to be able to get to go home and to be able to do the sport that I love and train every single day for one of my biggest accomplishments. That’s just something that helps motivate me I guess for the future.
AM: What does an average day of training look like for you? How many hours are you spending?
SL: 3 days a week, I train 8 hours plus an extra hour of strength and conditioning and of course, I have to do like physical therapy to make sure that my body is feeling great and then another 3 days out of the week. So it’s Mon., Tues., and Thurs. I go 8 hours and then Wed., Fri., and Sat, I do 4 hours.
AM: Although you haven’t made the team yet, but if you do, what are you looking forward to in terms of this next Olympic cycle?
SL: If I were to make this next Olympics, I think that I would look forward to having a crowd!
AM: Oh yeah!
SL: Yeah, unfortunately at the last Olympics, it was during COVID and we didn’t have anybody come to our meets and it just didn’t really feel like a competition.
AM: Yeah.
SL: I think that that’s the one thing – like our families and friends giving us that support! I’m just hoping that I make it so bad.
AM: With such a busy and focused schedule, how do you take time for yourself and making sure that you’re checking in with Suni and what’s going on with you?
SL: I spend a lot of my off time shopping or hanging out with my friends. I love journaling, I love working out. So, I do try to balance it out as much as possible. If I have an off weekend, I do try and spend it with my family and friends. Just trying to catch up, I love spending time with my siblings. I really just try to stay in touch with my body and my mind at all times.
AM: Are there any projects coming up that you would like to share that we should keep an eye out for?
SL: I don’t know if I can exactly share what I am working on, but I will say that I have been super blessed and it’s amazing that I get these opportunities to work with some of my favorite brands because I never thought that I would be able to. So that is just something that I will always look back on! It’s like Batiste, it has been super amazing to work with them and exciting because I use their products on a daily basis! So to work with them is just so amazing.
IG @sunisalee
PHOTOGRAPHY COURTESY | Suni Lee
Read the MAR ISSUE #99 of Athleisure Mag and see DEDICATED & BOLD | Suni Lee in mag.
ATHLEISURE MAG ISSUE #99 | CHEF TOM COLICCHIO, CHEF KRISTEN KISH, & GAIL SIMMONS
In this month’s issue, our front and back cover story is with the legendary, culinary trio of Bravo Top Chef's Chef Tom Colicchio, Chef Kristen Kish, and Gail Simmons. We talk with them about S21 which premiered on Mar 20th, we find out about how they came to the show, what we need to know about the upcoming season, how they approach their roles on the show, and more.
This month, we caught up Chase Stokes of Netflix's Outer Banks. He talks about the upcoming season, being a dog dad, and upcoming projects that he is working on.
We also caught up with 90s heartthrob, Joey Lawrence to find out about various projects he's part of, his podcast Brotherly Love that he does with his siblings, and the importance of oral care.
We had a great time sitting down with Access Hollywood and Access Daily with Mario and Kit host, Kit Hoover! We have been a fan of hers since we saw her on the first season of Road Rules.! From there, she took on hosting in entertainment and sports broadcasting such as ESPN and of course, she has been at NBC for the past 14 years! We talked about her career, how she approaches interviews, and her podcast that launches Apr 5th, The Coop.
We also chatted with Brandon Soo Hoo of Paramount+ The Tiger's Apprentice and Netflix's Mech Cadets to find out about how he got into the industry, how he approaches his roles, the importance of Martial Arts in his life, projects he's excited about, and more.
We kicked off Awards Season by chatting with Charles Joly globally acclaimed mixologist who created craft cocktails at the Emmy's as Johnnie Walker Blue Label was the official sponsor. We end Awards Season by chatting with him about pouring for the Governors Ball, the after party of the Oscars. He talks about how Don Julio has an array of cocktails that we can enjoy whether we were there or want to celebrate the red carpet moments of our lives.
We always enjoy sharing our favorite Olympians with you! In this month's issue, we have 3X Olympic Medalist Team USA Gymnastics' Suni Lee! We talk about how she fell in love with this sport, how she trains, being at Tokyo 2020, and what the qualifications process is like as she works towards being on the team for Paris 2024.
When American Rust debuted in 2021, we thoroughly enjoyed this show which looks at a small industrial town that has to navigate their reality when they see that there has been a shift in the American Dream. In S2, they continue to grapple these issues while navigating dynamics where they all see justice for what they feel that they deserve. We had the pleasure to chat with Executive Producers of the show as well as various castmembers who are back for American Rust: Broken Justice.
This month's The Art of the Snack comes from Mishik which is located here in NY's Hudson Square. We wanted to know more about this elegant restaurant, what we should expect when we come in to dine with family and friends, and more.
We know that when you hit the Spring and continue into warmer seasons, we do all kinds of traveling, and staycations are a great way to be in a different area while still getting to know your city and neighborhood in a richer way! In Spring Staycation, we focused on SoHo and stayed At NoMo SoHo which put us in the heart of fashion, art, great eateries, and more. In our interview, you can learn more about this hotel, what it offers guests, those who are traveling, enjoying staycations, or live in the neighborhood. We also know that in a staycation, just because you're in one neighborhood, it doesn't mean that you can't hop to another. We included the UES' Chola which has been in NYC for 26 years! We share more information on the restaurant, it's dedication to Indian Cuisine, and more.
Next month, The Joy of Sake will be back on Apr 11th where guests can enjoy sampling an array of sake as well as participating restaurants. We spoke with the founder of The Joy of Sake's, Chris Pearce who talks with us about why he created this event that takes place here in NY as well as Honolulu. He also shares what we need to know about attending this event.
We first got introduced to Brooke Burke on E! Wild On. We got to learn a lot about her and enjoyed traveling alongside her through locales all over the world. Since then, she has continued to host a number of shows, and she has acted in various programs, created a fitness/wellness platform, been a brand ambassador for amazing brands, and is an author. We talked about her career, her ability to take her passions and to build the life that she enjoys living. We also talked about upcoming retreats that you will want to know more about!
This month's Athleisure List comes from Nobu Barbuda, an exclusive Beach Club where can guests can lounge and take in experiences from this well known restaurant destination. We also have Music For A While which is located in the Selina Hotel in Chelsea. This lounge is definitely for those that enjoy their music and a vibrant environment.
We enjoyed Awards Season and this month, our feature 9R3DCARP3T looks at iconic talents that hit the runway along with exclusive thoughts about the creation of their looks from them as well as their glam teams! This month’s 9PLAYLIST comes from our cover editorial, Chef Tom Colicchio, Chef Kristen Kish, and Gail Simmons as they share their songs in 9COLLAB. We also habe actor Brandon Soo Hoo share his 9PLAYLIST as well. Lionel Messi. Our 9LIST STORI3S comes from Kit Hoover and Brooke Burke. Our 63MIX ROUTIN3S comes from Chase Stokes and Suni Lee. This month's THE 9LIST 9CH3FS and THE 9LIST 9B-L-D comes from Chef Tom Coliccio of Craft Hospitality, Chef Kristen Kish of Arlo Grey, and Gail Simmons.
Read the MAR ISSUE #99 of Athleisure Mag.