Friday, 5/30/97 Olympic gymnast Chow makes impact on all
Americans HEROS: Athlete is role model for Asian-American
community, inspires all with her diligence
By Tedd Shum When you hear the names Michael Chang, Kristi
Yamaguchi, Michelle Kwan and Amy Chow, what comes to your mind? Can
you mentally picture these people? Are they merely no-name
athletes? Of course not – they represent the pride and joy of the
United States of America. So what is the difference between these
athletes compared to others? Obviously, they are of Asian descent,
but more importantly they are Asian Americans whose actions reflect
upon the United States. Although there may only be four prominent
Asian-American athlete figures (forgive me if I miss someone), they
all have a responsibility and an impact on American society. As
role models, particularly for the Asian-American community, they
exemplify success, integrity, discipline and a dedicated work
ethic. But what exactly are their roles? What goes on in their
lives? What drives and motivates them? What strengths and
weaknesses do they have? Do Asian-American athletes differ from
other athletes who represent the United States? Before I continue,
allow me to explain that my key focus here is not on all
Asian-American athletes, but rather one particular young
Asian-American athlete. I had the privilege and honor of meeting
Amy Chow (a member of the 1996 women’s gold medal gymnastic team
and the individual silver medalist on the uneven parallel bars) and
her coach, Mark Young, both of whom are from Northern California.
Amy resembles any young Asian-American woman. Physically, she is
neither a giant nor a midget, neither buff, nor a twig. If you did
not know who she was, she would be just like any other beautiful
young Asian woman walking down Bruin Walk at UCLA. But she is not
just any ordinary woman; she is a proud representative of the 1996
Olympic champions. Young Amy began her gymnastic training at West
Valley Gymnastics in Cupertino when she was only 3 years old. This
was (and still is) where her personality and characteristics were
shaped and are still in the process of development. Amy’s head
coach, Mark, shared with me his strategies in shaping and
motivating Amy and his other gymnasts. He said, "The kids set up
their own goals." Mark does not set their goals because he believes
that they would work harder for goals they set for themselves.
Thus, Amy set her own goals 2 1/2 years ago to make it on the
Olympic team and compete in the uneven bars individual finals.
According to her coach, Amy has an awesome work ethic. She is very
quick and flexible but not very strong or expressive in her
performances. Though Amy excelled as a gymnast, gymnastics is not a
priority in her life; instead what is most important to her is her
education. As an Asian-American athlete representing the United
States, Amy has a vigorous, busy life. She spends her weekends
doing her homework while during the week she attends school and
gymnastics training. She does not have the chance to spend too much
time with her family due to her busy athletic training schedule,
but they are very supportive of her. As for a social life, she is
like any normal 19 year old who likes to goof off with her friends.
However, when Amy is not goofing around, she is hard at work. She
shared with me that, in representing the Asian-American community,
she has high expectations of herself not only on the gym floor but
also within the community. Amy knows that she is now a role model.
She expressed that, as a role model, she wants to encourage young
people to work hard, believe in themselves, and just to "have fun."
The Summer Olympic Games came and now it is gone. The hype is over
but the memories will last forever. The seven women who brought
home the gold are embedded in history. Their friendships with each
other began as an acquaintanceship but developed into sisterhood. I
asked Amy about her feelings as well as the team’s attitude
concerning Kerri Strug. She explained that the team had the option
to join Kerri’s tour but decided to join the John Hancock tour
instead. Although Amy has not talked much with Kerri after the
Olympics, Amy said that they will always be friends. (I could not
reach Kerri for comment.) The life of an athlete goes on regardless
of success or failure. Whether you are an Asian-American athlete or
not, there will be times where you will be at the top of the world
and there also will be times when you will have to hang up your
towel forever. Amy shared with me that she is finished with
professional competition. She will be attending Stanford University
to pursue her new goal of becoming a pediatrician. As we can see
from Amy’s life, Asian-American athletes are not much different
from other athletes. They are role models for all Americans and are
proud representatives of the spirit of competition. Their success,
integrity, discipline, and work ethic inspires us. As Amy stated:
In order to achieve your goals you must work hard, believe in
yourself and just "have fun." Shum is a fourth-year psychobiology
student with a specialization in business and administration.
Related Links:Amy Chow Fan Page