Olympic gold medalist Sunisa Lee has turned her focus from the competition floor to the heart of her community, teaming up with fellow gymnasts to launch and sustain projects that uplift young athletes and strengthen local neighborhoods. Since her all-around victory at the Tokyo 2020 Olympics, Lee has used her platform not only to inspire the next generation but also to demonstrate that elite athletes can be powerful agents of social change. By collaborating with teammates and friends from the gymnastics world, she is building a legacy rooted in service, leadership, and collective action.

Background: Sunisa Lee’s Journey to Gold and Beyond

Sunisa Lee’s rise to stardom was both swift and deeply meaningful. As the first Hmong-American Olympian and the first Hmong-American gold medalist, she became an instant role model for Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) communities across the United States. Her upbringing in St. Paul, Minnesota, shaped her understanding of hard work, sacrifice, and the importance of giving back. After the Olympic Games, Lee decided to channel the momentum of her success into long-term community engagement. She formally launched the Sunisa Lee Foundation in 2022, dedicated to supporting AAPI youth, promoting gymnastics accessibility, and fostering leadership. This foundation quickly became the vehicle through which Lee and her fellow gymnasts organized and expanded their community projects.

The decision to collaborate with other prominent gymnasts was a natural one. The Tokyo Olympic team—including Jordan Chiles, Grace McCallum, and Jade Carey—had already bonded under intense pressure. Translating that camaraderie into service work allowed them to leverage their collective visibility. By working together, these athletes amplify their impact, reach more communities, and set an example for fans who look up to them both as competitors and as citizens.

Forging Partnerships: How Fellow Gymnasts United for Community Work

The collaboration among Sunisa Lee and her fellow gymnasts extends beyond occasional photo opportunities. It is built on shared values, mutual respect, and a genuine desire to address real needs. Jordan Chiles, known for her vibrant personality and advocacy for mental health, has been an especially close partner. Together, Lee and Chiles have hosted joint events, appeared at fundraisers, and spoken openly about the pressures young athletes face. Grace McCallum and Jade Carey have also contributed their time, joining training clinics and charity runs. Even Simone Biles, though not directly involved in every project, has endorsed their efforts and provided guidance through her own experience in athlete-led philanthropy.

These partnerships are not limited to Olympic teammates. Lee has also reached out to collegiate gymnasts and rising stars from different clubs, creating an inclusive network of athletes committed to community service. The goal is to show that leadership is not about individual glory but about lifting others. Each project is designed to tap into the unique skills of the gymnasts involved—whether coaching, mentoring, or simply inspiring through presence.

Notable Community Projects and Initiatives

Free Gymnastics Clinics for Underserved Youth

One of the cornerstone initiatives is the series of free gymnastics clinics organized by Lee and her fellow gymnasts. These clinics take place in community centers, schools, and local gymnasiums, particularly in areas with limited access to gymnastics training. Young children, many of whom have never tried the sport, get the chance to learn basic skills—cartwheels, handstands, balance beam fundamentals—under the direct instruction of Olympic and national team athletes. The clinics are designed to be inclusive, welcoming participants from all backgrounds, abilities, and economic circumstances.

Equipment, facility costs, and transportation are often subsidized through the Sunisa Lee Foundation and corporate sponsors. The gymnasts personally demonstrate exercises, offer corrections, and share stories about their own beginnings. These sessions do more than teach gymnastics; they build confidence, discipline, and a sense of belonging. For many children, meeting their heroes in person is a transformative experience that plants the seed for future athletic or personal ambitions.

Lee has noted that she learned gymnastics in a modest setting herself, and she wants to remove barriers that might keep talented kids from trying the sport. By partnering with organizations like local YMCA branches, the clinics are able to reach families who might otherwise never consider gymnastics. The program has already served hundreds of children in Minnesota, California, and Texas, with plans to expand to more states in partnership with USA Gymnastics.

Environmental Advocacy: Clean-Up Campaigns and Green Initiatives

Beyond the gym, Sunisa Lee and her teammates have taken their community spirit outdoors. They participate in local clean-up events, planting trees, picking up litter in parks, and promoting environmental awareness. These campaigns are often tied to Earth Day or other environmental holidays, but the gymnasts maintain a year-round commitment to sustainability. For example, they have partnered with Team USA’s sustainability initiatives to reduce plastic waste at gymnastics competitions and promote eco-friendly travel.

In one notable event, Lee, Chiles, and several other gymnasts spent a weekend cleaning up a stretch of the Mississippi River near Minneapolis, drawing attention to water pollution. They also used their social media platforms to share tips on reducing single-use plastics and supporting local environmental organizations. The clean-ups are often combined with educational components, where they talk to young participants about the importance of protecting natural spaces for future generations. This blend of active service and awareness-raising has resonated with their fan base, many of whom are young and conscious of climate issues.

Charity Fundraisers and Grant Programs

Fundraising has been a key pillar of the gymnasts’ community work. They host events ranging from online auctions of signed memorabilia to exclusive meet-and-greet sessions. Proceeds go to community centers, youth sports scholarships, and programs that support mental health. The Sunisa Lee Foundation also provides small grants to gymnastics clubs in underserved areas, helping them purchase equipment or hire qualified coaches.

One successful initiative is the “Gold Medal Giveback” campaign, held in partnership with a major sportswear company. During the campaign, Lee and her fellow gymnasts auctioned off leotards, warm-up jackets, and autographed photos, raising over $100,000 for youth programs. Another fundraiser involved a virtual gymnastics masterclass, where participants could pay a small fee to train alongside the athletes via livestream. The funds were directed to The Hidden Opponent, a nonprofit that addresses mental health in sports. These efforts demonstrate how athletes can leverage their star power to generate tangible resources for community causes.

Mental Health Awareness Campaigns

Recognizing the mental health challenges that come with elite competition, Lee and her teammates have made mental health advocacy a major focus. They share their own struggles with pressure, anxiety, and burnout, normalizing conversations around emotional well-being. In community events, they facilitate workshops for young athletes on stress management, self-compassion, and seeking help. The gymnasts have also partnered with school districts to bring mental health resources into classrooms.

Sunisa Lee has been open about her own journey, including the pressure she felt after her Olympic win and the loss of her father and aunt during the Games. By speaking candidly, she encourages others to prioritize their mental health. Together with Jordan Chiles, she has visited high school gyms and community centers to lead discussions on balancing ambition with self-care. These sessions often include practical tools like breathing exercises and journaling prompts. The impact has been profound: many young attendees have reported feeling less isolated and more empowered to ask for help when they need it.

Impact on Local Communities and Young Athletes

The collaboration between Sunisa Lee and her fellow gymnasts has yielded measurable results. In the first two years of their community projects, they have directly engaged over 5,000 young people through clinics, fundraisers, and awareness campaigns. Participation in gymnastics has increased in some target neighborhoods, with local clubs reporting waiting lists for the first time. Parents have shared testimonials about their children’s newfound confidence and sense of purpose after attending a clinic or meeting the athletes.

Anecdotal evidence is equally powerful. During one clinic in St. Paul, a young girl who had never done a cartwheel successfully completed a round-off after Lee’s encouragement. The girl’s mother later wrote to the foundation, describing how that moment changed her daughter’s self-belief. These stories are not uncommon. The gymnasts’ presence breaks through barriers of intimidation and inspires kids to try things they thought were impossible. In addition, the environmental clean-ups have fostered a sense of collective responsibility among participants, with many families returning for follow-up events even without the gymnasts present.

Community centers that have hosted the projects report increased visibility and new partnerships. For example, a community center in Sacramento that hosted a Lee-Chiles clinic saw a 40 percent increase in youth program sign-ups the following quarter. The center was able to use the momentum to secure additional funding from local businesses. The ripple effect of athlete-led service is clear: it energizes local ecosystems and creates lasting structures for youth development.

Leadership Development for the Athletes Themselves

While the projects serve the community, they also serve a developmental purpose for the gymnasts. Stepping into roles as organizers, mentors, and public speakers helps them build skills that will benefit them long after their competitive careers. Lee has spoken about how leading a clinic taught her to communicate more effectively and to manage logistics under pressure—skills that translate directly to her collegiate pursuits at Auburn University and her emerging business ventures. Her teammates similarly report increased confidence and a stronger sense of identity beyond gymnastics.

Collaboration itself is a learning process. Working with multiple athletes means negotiating schedules, aligning priorities, and dividing responsibilities. The gymnasts learn to trust each other and to compromise when visions differ. This teamwork echoes the dynamics of a competition squad but with a social mission rather than a medal at stake. Many of them have noted that the community projects have deepened their friendships and given them a shared purpose outside the constant grind of training and competition. The experience is both humbling and empowering, reminding them that their influence extends far beyond the vault or the beam.

Future Expansion: Mental Health and Educational Programs

Looking ahead, Sunisa Lee and her fellow gymnasts have ambitious plans. The foundation is developing a formal mental health curriculum for youth sports teams, to be piloted in partnership with schools and community organizations. This curriculum will include videos featuring the gymnasts discussing their own challenges, along with guided activities led by licensed counselors. The goal is to make mental health education as routine as physical training in youth sports.

Educational programs are also in the works. Lee has expressed interest in launching a scholarship program for gymnasts from low-income backgrounds who excel academically or demonstrate leadership in their schools. This scholarship would cover training costs, competition fees, and tutoring. The foundation is actively fundraising for an endowment that would sustain these scholarships for decades. Additionally, the gymnasts are exploring a partnership with USA Gymnastics to create a nationwide network of community clinics that can be replicated by local gyms. This would allow the model to scale beyond the direct involvement of the Olympic athletes, ensuring a broader reach.

Environmental projects will continue as well, with a new initiative called “Gymnasts Go Green” that encourages gyms to adopt sustainable practices like energy-efficient lighting and reduced water usage. Lee and Chiles plan to host a summit for gymnastics club owners to share best practices. The sum of these future plans is a comprehensive effort to embed service into the culture of gymnastics, making community engagement a standard part of an athlete’s journey, not an afterthought.

Conclusion: Leading Beyond the Podium

Sunisa Lee’s collaboration with fellow gymnasts for community projects is a powerful example of how elite athletes can transform their fame into a force for good. By working together on gymnastics clinics, environmental campaigns, fundraisers, and mental health advocacy, they are addressing real needs while inspiring the next generation. Their efforts demonstrate that the podium is not an ending point but a launching pad for meaningful impact. As Lee often says, the gold medal is wonderful, but the true prize is being able to use it to help others. This collaborative, service-oriented approach is reshaping what it means to be a champion—both in sport and in life.