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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