The glorification of a 9-5 job and a ‘stable’ career has caused many athletes, especially those from Asian countries, to abandon their sports dreams for more traditional jobs. Lily Ann Zhang, a prominent US table tennis player and 4-time Olympian, is an example of this struggle. Known as the ‘Queen of American table tennis’, Zhang has reached the top 16 in women’s singles at the ongoing Paris Olympics.
However, despite her success, her parents, Linda Liu and Bob Zhang, who immigrated from China and now work in Silicon Valley, have always pushed for a more conventional career for their daughter, reported Hindustan Times.
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Linda Liu, her mother, explained that as traditional Chinese parents, they prioritized education and a stable career over sports. Initially, they introduced Lily to table tennis to pass down their native country’s national sport, using their ping-pong table as a dining table.
“We always try to convince her to stop playing. We just want her to have a normal job,” she said.
Lily Zhang’s journey in table tennis began early. By age 10, she was spending summers in China sharpening her skills. At 16, she competed in the 2012 London Games but lost. Her parents saw this as an opportunity to encourage her to focus on her studies. Zhang briefly left the sport but felt unfulfilled while attending the University of California, Berkeley. She considered taking a gap year to practice for future games, but her mother was against it, thinking one Olympic participation was enough, reported NDTV.
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“A lot of Asian parents…that’s why you see so many talented players, no matter boys or girls, after they reach college, they say bye-bye,” noted Team USA coach, Jun Gao.
However, Lily Ann Zhang chose to follow her passion. Determined not to regret missing her chance, she returned to the sport.
With her parents’ eventual support, Zhang trained for the 2016 Rio Games, reaching the third round. She graduated in psychology and competed again in the 2021 Olympics. Now, she earns through tournaments and sponsorships, hoping to play in front of a home crowd at the 2028 US Olympics.
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Following your passion eventually bears fruit, in some way or the other!