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Despite the pressure of public examinations, Sze Hang Yu has never skipped any of the training sessions. Being renowned as the “butterfly queen” of Hong Kong, Rosanna insists to strive for her best at an athlete’s prime age; with her eyes right focused on Beijing Olympic Games in 2008.
Rosanna was selected for formal training at the age of 9, when a swimming promotion team went to Precious Blood Primary School and spotted her talents. She loved swimming ever since, and continued to develop her interest regardless of her parents’ opposition. She recalled, “When I first learned swimming, once my dad came to see me. He thought I wasn’t swimming well and might get drowned. He told me not to swim. But I insisted and he let me go my way.” Rosanna soon revealed her potential, winning her first 50 meters Breaststroke champion in 1998. Rosanna was once a girl of few words, but since she become a member of the Hong Kong Team, the family-liked atmosphere shared among the teammates has made her a more cheerful person, and even made her forget the hardship of trainings.
To prepare for 2004 Athens Olympic Games and this year’s Asian Age Group Championships, Rosanna went to Bangkok twice, and unfortunately both trips ended halfway because of high fever. Yet, physical hardship is not shaking her determination to swim well. It is the unsatisfactory performances in the 10th National Games and the 4th East Asian Games that drew Rosanna’s morale to the bottom. She said, “I was a hope for medals before the Games. I wanted so much to do it well, and gave myself too much pressure. Things all went the wrong way. Then I tried an easy mind in the Asian Indoor Games, performance came back. So I won’t think too much for the coming Asian Games and Championships. All I do is to concentrate in my training.” Rosanna recalled with smiles that the Asian Indoor Games was held in Bangkok, at that time her mother was so worried she might get sick again. The answer is, Rosanna did come back, with 7 gold, 3 silver and 1 bronze medals in hands. The curse that has annoyed her for two years, is over.
Sze Hang Yu is now the holder of nine swimming records (long course & short course) in Hong Kong. But honors don’t come easily. For five years Rosanna spent five days after school and three mornings every week in the swimming pool. This is unthinkable for many students of her age. She still wears a smile and said, “I spend so much time to swim, there were times I felt so tired and just went straight to bed without flipping a page of my textbooks. Besides, I am always an alien to others’ trendy talks and the society’s hot events. It’s kind of disconnected. But I am okay with it. I quite like this life style.” As a 17 aged students, Rosanna is not exempted from the “HKCEE” public examination. She thinks she is fortunate to have supportive parents who never give her too much pressure on the academic side. At this moment, Olympic medal is more like a dream, but Rosanna has made it a goal, for which she proceeds.
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