Suni Lee told her 4th grade gym teacher she would win Olympic gold someday
ST. PAUL, Minn. — St. Paul native Suni Lee wrapped up the Paris Olympics with three medals around her neck.
She knew long ago that this was her destiny when she shared her goals with her fourth-grade gym teacher, Scott Richards.
"[She was] very strong. Just her physical strength was off the charts," said Richards, describing Lee in his gym class at Battlecreek Elementary School in St. Paul.
Richards took a picture of, then-fourth grader Lee with several gymnastics medals from regional competitions around her neck. The day before that picture was taken, Lee had told him something he would never forget.
"She said, 'I'm more concerned with going to the Olympics, and I will win a gold medal.' She said, 'I will win one.' She said that to me in fourth grade, and she was dead serious," said Richards.
As any good teacher would, Richards believed her.
"We tracked her and followed her, she kept building momentum and kept getting better and better, and you're like, 'wow, she could really pull this off,'" said Richards.
Now, that special moment over a decade ago comes full circle, as Richards watched Lee take home her second Olympic gold medal while competing in Paris, and then some.
"It's inspiring," said Richards, "Every time she's on, I'm on the TV, glued. I'm up as early as I have to, and then I watch again at night for a replay," said Richards.
As Richards watches the six-time Olympic medalist dominate on the world stage, he believes the root of her success comes from within.
"We had inspirational signs in the gym, up on the wall, and there was one right there, where the kids would see it every day, and it said, 'Attitudes are contagious. Is yours worth catching?' So it was a statement and a question. She was always the type of student I could use as an example for that," said Richards.
Her positive attitude shined through disappointment in her final event on the beam in Paris on Monday. She fell and missed her chance to medal.
"I shot her a little note today saying, 'Just keep being Sunisa,' and I know she will. I'm confident," said Richards.
The Men's and Women's USA gymnastics teams took home a total of 10 medals in the Paris Olympics.