Sammy Lee and Yu-Na Kim honored

The Korean-American Leadership Foundation is honoring Sammy Lee and Yu-na Kim for their global achievements.

Sammy Lee is the 1948 and 1952 Olympic champion in Diving. He is the son of a migrant worker who went to Hawaii to work in the sugarcane plantations. Lee received his MD from the University of Southern California in 1947 before he decided to turn to diving. He is the first Asian American to win an Olympic gold for the United States and the first man to win back-to-back medals in Olympic platform diving.

Although Yu-na Kim is not American, the Foundation has decided to celebrate her astonishing achievements, which have made Korea proud around the world. Kim is the 2010 Olympic Gold medalist and is also the 2009 World Champion. She is the most decorated figure skater in Korea.

The Foundation holds an annual gala to pay tribute to those in the Korean American community whose accomplishments have had a strong impact on the community. This year, the Foundation is recognizing athletes who have made their country proud. Past honorees include Chun Shin-ae, Director of the Women’s Bureau at the US Department of Labor and Paul Shin, member of the Washington State Senate.

The Gala will be held on August 7th in LA.