MINNEAPOLIS, Minnesota — Cailey Lee, 8, anxiously awaited Suni Lee's return home. While holding a sign that read "Welcome Home Suni!" Cailey said, "I really like Suni Lee and I want to be her one day."
A crowd gathered at Minneapolis-Saint Paul International Airport to welcome Lee home after the celebrated gymnast won three Olympic medals in Paris.
Her gold and two bronze medals from Paris, combined with her three from Tokyo, has her tied in third place with Aly Raisman for the most medals by an American gymnast at the Olympics, just behind Simone Biles (11) and Shannon Miller (7).
"When she stuck her last floor routine, both me and my mom cried," said Ayden Her, who trained with Lee for 10 years.
Ayden's mother, Rep. Kaohly Vang Her helped organize Lee's welcome home on Sunday afternoon. Rep. Her is closed friends with Lee's family.
"She overcame so much in order to be in this place to do this so it was really emotional for us. Especially just the tie of knowing her since she was this little 6-year-old girl and knowing that this dream was coming true again with all the adversity she's experienced," Rep. Her said.
In 2023, Lee was diagnosed with two rare kidney diseases. Doctors once told her she would never be able to do gymnastics again.
"It was so inspiring to know that she had that and she still pushed through it," said Sophia Buechler, who trains at Lee's home gym at Midwest Gymnastics.
Jade Graba agreed, saying, "It inspires me to do my best every day at the gym."
Around 5:45 p.m. on Sunday, Lee stepped off the plane and was welcomed by a crowd in the departure area of MSP Airport's Terminal 1.
Lee signed autographs and hugged familiar faces as she thanked people for the support.
Some of the other politicians who greeted Lee included St. Paul Mayor Melvin Carter, State Sen. Foung Hawj, Lt. Gov. Peggy Flanagan and U.S. Sen. Amy Klobuchar.
Lee left without giving any media interviews.
Lee's coach, Jess Graba, said, "I think that's probably the best part about my job is that it's not so much about the medals and all that other stuff... it's more about the little kids and the kids that look up to her. She's such a great role model and what she overcame can hopefully inspire other kids to do more and more."
Members of the Hmong community also came out to support Lee.
"We get to where we are because we have the love and support of community... The Hmong community is a very big community and it was a community that helped raise her," Rep. Her said. "She is a product of our community love and really of all of our ancestors' dreams when they fought for this country to come here. She is literally the manifestation of every possible dream that they could've had when we came to this country."