Even though she competed in singles badminton in the 2012 Olympic Games with Team USA, Rena Wang often plays doubles in competitions with her younger sister Iris. Iris Wang will join Rena Wang this year at UCLA.
Rena Wang’s journey started simply enough, at a childhood backyard birthday party, but it took her to the highest level of athletic competition ““ the Olympics.
The second-year biology student recently competed at the 2012 Olympic Games in London, representing the United States in singles badminton. This opportunity would not have been possible without her little sister.
At that fateful birthday party, 10-year-old Wang joined her friends in a game of badminton, while her sister Iris was relegated to watching.
“My little sister wanted to play, but none of the big kids would let her,” Rena Wang said. “After that incident, she demanded my parents get her lessons with a coach. I joined soon after, and our passion took us from there.”
Rena Wang’s passion has taken her further than many would travel in a lifetime.
Playing badminton has filled her passport with stamps ranging from Korea to Brazil, Guatemala to Poland. But it was the latest stamp ““ England ““ that had her surrounded with the best in the world.
“I’ve been to tournaments all around the world, but the Olympics was different,” Rena Wang said. “I knew I was a part of something so much bigger than myself. To represent my country amongst world class athletes is extremely humbling.”
Rena Wang received a bye in the first round of group play and then faced Wang Xin ““ a former world No. 1 singles player who made it to the bronze medal game in this year’s Olympics ““ in the second round.
Rena Wang was dealt a loss and sent home earlier than expected.
“She is one of my favorite players, so I was happy to play her. She is very talented and I am of course disappointed, but I see it as motivation,” Rena Wang said.
It is Rena Wang’s humility that has pushed her to train six hours a day in preparation, rising to a No. 51 rank in the world for women’s singles and No. 32 rank in women’s doubles.
But Rena Wang’s journey to this point has been far from easy ““ it’s been full of sacrifices. She’s missed birthdays, holidays and even two years of her college experience.
“There is a pain that comes with discipline, and a pain of regret knowing you are missing out on things, but I know my priorities: They are academics and training,” Rena Wang said.
Rena Wang came to UCLA in 2009, but took two years off from 2010 to 2012 to focus on badminton.
However, that did not get in the way of Rena Wang’s focus on education.
In one year of school, she was inducted into three honor societies: Golden Key, Alpha Lambda Delta and Phi Eta Sigma. Her dream occupation doesn’t involve a racket, but a stethoscope.
“I’ve always wanted to go to med school. I can’t see myself doing anything else,” said Rena Wang, who was often sick as a child and has dreamed of a medical career ever since.
Despite her impressive resume, Rena Wang attributes her success to something closer to home ““ her family.
Her younger sister Iris has been her doubles partners for years, and Rena Wang is quick to praise their strong bond, even referring to it as being “telepathic on the court.”
“Since we are sisters, we have never been afraid to critique each other, improving both our games,” Iris Wang said. “It has led to us having great chemistry together.”
Tony Gunawan, an Olympian and former world champion in men’s doubles for badminton, has coached the sisters for years and said both of them possess the combination of qualities needed to excel at the elite level.
“In any sport or aspect of life, if you want to get to the top level, you need a little bit of everything. … They both have that quality in them as players,” Gunawan said.
Although Gunawan is leaning toward retirement from coaching after these Olympics, both Rena Wang and Iris Wang plan on giving the Olympic stage another run in 2016.
“The Olympics is the tournament of tournaments because it is the result of years of preparation and effort,” Rena Wang said. “It is the most prestigious sporting event in the world and the ultimate dream.”
This fall, Rena Wang will put away her passport for the time being and focus on her time at UCLA, where she will be joined by her sister who is an incoming freshman.
But even as Iris Wang prepares for her four years as a Bruin, the sisters are already looking forward to their next challenge: competing in Rio 2016.