John Zeno
AP Sports Writer
Sunisa Lee of the United States poses after winning a bronze medal on the uneven bars during the women’s equipment final in rhythmic gymnastics at the 2020 Summer Olympics in Tokyo, Japan, Sunday, Aug. 1, 2021. (AP Photo/Ashley Landis)
Auburn, Alabama (AP) — Sunisa Lee needs a breather from the exhausting world of elite gymnastics.
She wanted to go to school, and now the ability of college athletes to make money by trading names, images and likenesses makes it easy for her.
The Olympic all-around champion, aiming to defend her title in Paris in 2024, has capitalized on her still-newfound fame with appearances on shows such as “Dancing with the Stars.” The 19-year-old is hardly your average college freshman.
“Even without NIL, I knew I wanted to go to college because I had to find my love for the sport again,” Lee said. “I had to leave the elite world because it was so different. It was more fun and had the team so supportive.”
The new NIL rules allow her to translate last summer’s success in Tokyo into financial security without sacrificing her college experience and education. And without having to hide in the gym all day.
From April 14-16, Lee helped lead the Tigers to the NCAA Tournament in Fort Worth, Texas, for the first time since 2016. She scored her fifth 10 points of the season in the zone at Neville Arena, helping Auburn edge Kentucky on the balance beam.
The all-American ranked No. 1 in the country on uneven bars — she won a bronze medal in Tokyo — tied for No. 1 on the balance beam and No. 2 in all-around.
“I don’t think she could have made that decision if the Olympics were a year early and that happened,” said Auburn coach Jeff Graba, whose twin brother Jess has been Lee long-term personal trainer.
While Lee is in the running for the NCAA title, she also feels she has a lot to prove. Lee’s all-around gold came after favorite Simone Biles withdrew from the competition, citing mental health issues. Li said she didn’t think she had reached her full potential, which was indeed worthy of the gold medal.
“I think it’s something I just want to prove to myself because I think I have a lot of doubters,” said Lee, a Hmong American from Minnesota. “Prove it to others, but more importantly to myself.
“I don’t want to look back, I could have done more. I want to look back and know that I gave it all I had, and if I didn’t make it, I didn’t either. But I gave it my all.”
Lee owns the GK Elite line of bodysuits and the Pretty Little Thing. clothing line, which she tracks while living in the dorm with roommate/teammate Sara Hubbard and other Auburn freshmen. She splurges on a car and her first designer bag, but mostly worries about spending too much now and not enough later.
“I was terrified of actually using my money,” Lee said. “I’m very cautious about it because I have to.”
Before officially joining the Auburn team in December, she was still taking online classes and spending the fall performing at dance competitions in Los Angeles. Lee felt that appearing in “Dancing with the Stars” – where she reached the semi-finals with partner Sasha Farber – made her “more exciting”.
“It just made it interesting,” Lee said. “It’s really cool to be able to do all this at such a young age. But then I got scared. When I’m old, what will I do? Because if I do everything now, what will I do in the future?
“But I don’t know, it’s really exciting.”
Lee also dealt with the sudden fame that came with the Olympic champion. She can’t just walk into the grocery store or eat dinner quietly outside. She doesn’t even go to Auburn basketball games anymore. It’s all part of the new normal for a teen who hasn’t quite adjusted to the spotlight but longs to never appear aloof.
“It was really hard because even grabbing food, people would come up to her and be like, ‘Hold my baby. Take a picture of me. Autograph my shoes,'” Hubbard said. her roommate said. “I think it’s just overwhelming. It’s kind of scary when a bunch of random people are all in your business.”
But Grabba and Lee’s teammates said in and around the practice gym that she was just another Olympic gymnast. Meeting high expectations is part of the challenge.
“She was probably the one who put the most pressure on herself,” teammate Casey Stevens said.
“But I think she does a better job of handling it, listening to what we have to say. Like, being yourself is enough. It’s actually great.”
But, Grabba added: “Without that gritty mentality, you’re not going to win an Olympic gold medal.”
