Suni Lee’s community sends love from Maplewood to Paris

More than 70 friends and members of Sunisa Lee’s family gathered Tuesday morning to support her from afar.

At the private event at Unison Restaurant and Banquet in Maplewood, Suni’s supporters wore custom-made “Team Suni” T-shirts that boasted an image of the Eiffel Tower, Hmong geometric patterns and a gymnast figure paused midair. There were balloons, fan signs and streamers galore.

Kids sat cross-legged on a mat by the TV projector and adults filled the seats and crowded the aisles, eating rice and chicken wings, papaya salad and pork belly catered by Unison. The event was sponsored by Moua-Lor Chiropractic & Acupuncture.

Jonah Lee, the eldest brother of the 21-year-old Olympic champion, was cheering on his sister and remembering how she ”was always doing backflips and cartwheels” in the family’s backyard.

Other Suni supporters included several aunts, an uncle and a flag-draped Rev. Cyprian Czop, who serves as pastor at St. Patrick’s of St. Paul, a parish with high Hmong American attendance.

“Before the event, I texted her, ‘Good luck today. We love you,’ ” said Suni’s aunt Bernie Vang. “It’s been a journey, from the Olympic team trials at Target Center to Paris.”

Once it was announced that Team USA won Tuesday’s women’s artistic gymnastics team final, Vang and other family members went on Facebook Messenger to videochat with Suni’s mother, Yeev Thoj, and father, John Lee, who followed Suni to Paris.

At 11:15 a.m. Thursday, Suni’s family will return to Unison for the individual all-around final, where Suni and Simone Biles, friends and rivals, will compete for gold. This time, you can join them. The event will be open to the public.