Hmong community leaders from St. Paul and the east metro including state Rep. Kaohly Vang Her, DFL-St. Paul, also cheered Lee’s arrival.
But the loudest cheers came from a group of gymnasts from Midwest Gymnastics, the Little Canada center where Lee came up — and where she still trains sometimes, said Jillian Doherty, the gym’s director of operations.
“The girls know her pretty well and they’re super happy she was able to go and have her goal accomplished,” Doherty said.
The gym organized early-morning watch parties during the Olympics to see Lee’s events live from Paris. They watched Lee win two bronze medals in individual events, and saw her share in a team gold medal with Simone Biles and the rest of the U.S. women’s gymnastics squad.
The younger gymnasts are watching a hero, Doherty said, and also a friend.
“When she’s in the gym, she’s like any other gymnast,” Doherty said of Lee. “She sits and eats snacks with them. She’s just like one of the group.”
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