Swimming provides cure for 5-year-old
September 9th, 2009
Originally found at www.desmoinesregister.com
written by Tommy Birch
Lin (Thomas) Yi was looking for a way to cure his daughter Angela’s constant colds.
He found the perfect medication for the 5-year-old.
The swimming pool.
“We’re very proud of her,” said Thomas, who resides in Harlingen, Texas.
He’s also thankful to have her healthy. Between the ages of 3 and 4, Thomas and his wife, Qiaomzi Shen, noticed a disturbing trend.
“She got a sick a lot,” he said. “Every two to three weeks.”
So they signed her up for ice skating, put her on a soccer team and started swimming lessons.
Before long, they noticed a healthier Angela was emerging.
And a more confident one, especially in the pool.
“I just wanted to know how to swim,” Angela said.
She learned fast, cruising through three weeks of lessons.
She joined the South Texas Regional Swimmers team and qualified for the this week’s AAU Junior Olympic Games being held in Des Moines, becoming the youngest swimmer at this year’s meet.
Her 200-meter freestyle relay team finished third in the 8-and-under session Friday at Birdland Swimming Pool.
“She’s real good,” said her coach Dan Brandon
Her 48-inch frame and bright blue eyes have won over all her teammates. Even the older ones.
“She’s adorable,” said Brandon’s 18-year-old daughter Danielle, who practices with Yi. “She really makes us feel like we can do better.”
Probably because she’s doing it all. Yi will enter first grade this fall a year early. She scored off the charts in math and reading.
Yi is not the youngest competitor in the Junior Olympics. There are two 3-year-olds, six 4-year-olds and 38 5-year-olds.
This week, Yi entertained guests at her hotel with her piano playing.
“She kind of likes everything,” Thomas said.
For now, though, she said her biggest joy comes in the water, which she said she isn’t ready to let go.
“You can swim every day,” Angela said. “Anytime you want.”
