Monday, 2 Oct 2017
By Lim Teik Huat
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| Hungry for more: James Wong is not about to rest on his laurels as he now hopes to make the cut for the Commonwealth Games in Gold Coast, Australia, next April. |
The 23-year-old was only seven years old when he nearly drowned in a swimming pool in Subang.
While many would have a phobia of going back into the water, James proved that he’s made of sterner stuff when he began to learn to swim for safety reasons.
“I enrolled in a course that guarantees you can swim in a month’s time. At the end of that month, I managed to do one lap and I was like ‘wow, this is just amazing’,” he said.
Perhaps his ability to look on the bright side of things has to do with the fact that his parents never treated him any differently although he was born with part of his left arm missing.
“Growing up wasn’t really hard for me as my parents treated me like any other regular kid.
“My family made sure I did whatever other kids my age did.
“I just got on with things in school. I played football and badminton with the other kids.
“They never really treated me differently as I didn’t see myself as different, so we just carried on,” said James.
Nothing seems to faze the ebullient James. Not even the most simplest of tasks – like tying his shoe laces.
“I learned to do it when I was a kid. I just figured it out myself. I kept doing it till I found a way that worked,” he said confidently.
So, how did he get involved in para swimming?
It began when he just turned 14 and was studying at the Sri Kuala Lumpur school.“I would swim at the pool in my school whenever I could find the time.
“One day someone came up to me and asked if I would be interested in becoming a competitive swimmer and represent the country.
“One day someone came up to me and asked if I would be interested in becoming a competitive swimmer and represent the country.
“That someone was former national coach Lewin Lim, who is involved with the national para swimming team.
“I accepted his invitation as I liked his personality and things started from there.
“I went on to compete in my first Asean Para Games (in Palembang in 2011 at the age of 17) and I have never missed a single Games since,” said James, who enjoyed a smashing campaign at the recently-ended KL Asean Para Games swimming competition.
He erased the 12-year-old record en route to winning the men’s S8 (for a swimmer with one limb) 100m butterfly race in 1:12.94. The previous mark of 1:30.23 was set by compatriot D. Kulek in 2005.
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| James posing for a photograph with former national swimmers Khoo Cai Lin (left), Nurul Huda Abdullah (third from left) and para swimmer Carmen Lim recently. |
“I really wanted to see how far I could go in para swimming. If I never try, I would never know,” said James, who excels in studies as well.
He left to pursue further studies in Adelaide, Australia in 2011. He graduated last year with a double degree in Economics and International Studies.
He has opted to remain in Adelaide, where he also does part-time coaching.
“I’m really happy with what I achieved at the KL Asean Para Games as I can now tell the kids that their coach had done well and that they can be like me too,” he said.
James is not about to rest on his laurels as he now hopes to make the cut for the Commonwealth Games in Gold Coast, Australia, next April.
“My latest time in the 100m breaststroke (1:24.24) is fourth fastest in the Commonwealth ranking.
“The top eight from Oct 31 last year to Oct 31 this year will automatically qualify for the Commonwealth Games.
“It would be a dream come true to get in as the Commonwealth Games is probably the biggest competition where able-bodied athletes and para athletes swim at the same meet. That does not happen at the Olympics.”
Not only that, James is also game to learn to ride a motorbike next year.
“My coach, Shawn Curtis, picks me up for training but I want to find an easier way to go for training and come back.”
Thanks to his parents, who never treated him differently, James knows the importance of having a semblance of normalcy and being independent.
Also read:
James eyes C’wealth podium after smashing performances
