Suni Lee.Photo: LOIC VENANCE/AFP via Getty
In a video posted to Twitter on Wednesday, the 19-year-old gymnast addressed her future. Lee is currently asophomore at Auburn Universityand competes for their Division 1 NCAA gymnastics team.
“TodayI am sharing a decisionthat has weighed on me a really long time,” theDancing with the Starsalumsaid in the video. “As an athlete that has competed at the highest level on the world’s biggest stage I’ve been fortunate enough to experience that once in a lifetime feeling and the indescribable emotion when the gold medal is draped around your neck. But I don’t want it to just be once in a lifetime.”
The gymnast shared that competing for Auburn University was a dream of hers and that she’d learned so much about “myself, true teamwork and about community during my time here.”
In the video,she included clips from previous matchesand even some videos of her doing gymnastics as a kid. As the clips of her as a young gymnast were playing, she encouraged young girls to follow their dreams.
“To every little girl whose circumstances have dictated their future but you pushed beyond them, I see you,” Lee said. “I did it and you can do it too. Because really, nothing is impossible.”
At the conclusion of her message, Lee thanked her teammates, coaches, staff and school supporters. “This special place will always be a part of me and my journey,” she said. “And I’ll always be an Auburn Tiger.”
Suni Lee.C. Morgan Engel/NCAA Photos via Getty
Never miss a story — sign up forPEOPLE’s free daily newsletterto stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer, from juicy celebrity news to compelling human interest stories.
In the meantime, Lee is lighting up the floor (and beams, and vault) at Auburn.
“College has been amazing. It’s been super fun,” Lee told PEOPLE last month. “Having teammates, being somewhat normal is absolutely amazing. I mean, I’m not used to it, so it’s definitely been a transition.”
RELATED VIDEO: Suni Lee Clinches All-Around Gymnastics Gold Then Tearfully Celebrates with Team: ‘We’re So Proud,’ Dad Says
Among her numerous accolades, Lee was also a semifinalist in the last season ofDancing with the Stars.
The gymnast, who was the first Hmong-American to represent America in the Olympics, made waves in 2020 when shebrought home the gold medalfor U.S. women’s gymnastics during the individual all-around, a competition determining the best overall gymnast.
source: people.com
