Minnesota Gymnast Suni Lee Named One Of TIME's 100 Most Influential People

MINNEAPOLIS (WCCO) -- Following her stunning performance at the Tokyo Olympics, Minnesota native Suni Lee has been named one of TIME Magazine's 100 most influential people.

The 18-year-old from St. Paul won the gold medal in the all-around competition, catapulting her to athletic stardom. TIME noted that Lee is the first Hmong American olympian and said that her performance not only highlighted her incredible talent but signified representation.

"This milestone has and continues to inspire the Hmong community," fellow champion gymnast Nastia Liukin wrote for the magazine, "but it also sends a simple yet powerful message to underrepresented people everywhere: Dream big because anything is possible."

Another influential person listed by the magazine has a Minnesota connection: Attorney Benjamin Crump, who represents the families of George Floyd and Daunte Wright. Writing for the magazine, activist Gwen Carr says Crump has always been attentive to defending families whose loved ones have been killed by police.

"His efforts made possible a guilty verdict that he described as a 'turning point in history,'" Carr wrote.

Others who made the most influential people list include pop singer Billie Eilish, Apple CEO Tim Cook, and filmmaker Chloé Zhao.