Olympic Swimmer Driven by Dreams

Swimmer Gan Ching Hwee of Singapore at the Summer Olympic Games with her coach, Eugene Chia

Last summer, Gan Ching Hwee of Singapore fulfilled one of her biggest dreams. The swimmer competed at the Olympic Games in Paris, France. She was thrilled to represent her country on an international stage.

I recently interviewed Gan via video. I also spoke with her coach, Eugene Chia, in person. Chia is head coach at the Singapore Swimming Club, where I train.  

Gan is currently studying nutrition at Indiana University in Bloomington. At the Summer Olympic Games, the 21-year-old broke Singapore’s national record in both the women’s 1,500-meter and 800-meter freestyle preliminary races. Although her performances did not earn her a medal, Gan was proud that she represented Singapore so well. “​​If you can dream it, you can do it,” she said. 

Rheya with swim coach Eugene Chia at the Singapore Swimming Club. In the background is the pool where Gan trained. 

“AIM HIGH”

Gan started to swim at the age of five. She soon realized that she had a natural ability in the sport. Her parents encouraged her. They adjusted their schedules to take her to practices and cheered her on at competitions.

For many years, Gan trained 20 hours a week while balancing schoolwork. “With discipline,” she said, “I slowly got used to my swim schedule and academic workload. My teachers were very supportive and understanding.”

What surprised Gan the most, she said, was the discovery of her own resilience. Swimming requires mental and physical endurance. She faced tough training sessions, injuries, and losses in competitions. Still, she perservered.

Chia, her coach of 10 years, is proud of her accomplishments. “All young children—swimmers, or not—should dream and aim high,” he said. “They should all have tremendous self-belief and give their absolute best in all they do. That way, there will always be successes to look back upon.” 

The Olympic swimmer plans to continue competing. Her experiences at the Summer Games inspired her to train even harder. “Facing my competitors motivated me to swim faster instead of seeing them as an external pressure,” she said.

For Gan, it’s all about swimming well to honor those who have supported her, and doing her best for Singapore.