Sharing a passion for swimming, three siblings Le Thi Nhu Quynh (19 years old), Le Thi Thuy Trang (16 years old) and Le Hoang Dong (14 years old) hailing from Quang Binh Province all dream of becoming professional athletes and contribute a lot to Da Nang’s sports sector.

Le Thi Nhu Quynh, Le Hoang Dong and Le Thi Thuy Trang (from left to right)

Pursuing dream

Born into a farming family with four siblings, Nhu Quynh dreamed of becoming a professional athlete since she was young.

Nhu Quynh shared “Growing up by the Kien Giang River, I learned to swim early and had the opportunity to participate in many swimming competitions. At the age of nine, I won first prize in the school-level swimming competition and was introduced by my teachers to the Da Nang Athlete Training and Coaching Centre. If I agree, I have to leave my family and learn to live independently. However, I thought this was a good opportunity for me to become a professional athlete, and especially to reduce the financial burden on my parents, so I agreed".

After coming to Da Nang in 2014, Nhu Quynh received active support and encouragement from her coaches and quickly integrated into the new environment. After 3 years of trying, she was given the opportunity to compete in the National Youth Swimming Championship for the Da Nang swimming team and began to reap success. In 2018, she was called up to Viet Nam’s national swimming team.

Seeing her sister becoming more mature and finding joy in swimming, Le Thi Thuy Trang and Le Hoang Dong also strived to practice hard, hoping to continue following their sister's footsteps.

Like their sister, Thuy Trang and Hoang Dong learned to swim early and showed their talent through local swimming competitions. In 2018, with her parents' consent, Thuy Trang went to Da Nang to pursue her career as a professional athlete. In early 2024, Le Hoang Dong also joined the city’s swimming team after training in the military swimming team.

Conquering local and national competitions

At the Da Nang swimming team, as a senior, Nhu Quynh is familiar with difficult challenges and disciplined activities. Therefore, when her younger siblings are discouraged, she advises and teaches them basic skills.

Becoming a swimmer requires health, flexibility, and agility, so the three siblings always remind each other to do their utmost to achieve high achievements.

After 10 years of training and competing, Nhu Quynh has contributed many noble medals to the city's sports, including a silver medal and a gold medal at the National Youth Swimming Championships in 2018 and 2021 respectively, and a gold medal at the 2021 National Swimming Championship.

In 2023, she was selected to compete in the biathlon (swimming and running) and left her mark by winning a silver medal and a bronze medal at the national championship at same year. She won 1 gold medal and 1 silver medal at the 2024 National Biathlon Championship.

In addition, Quynh has just won the 10km swim event at the OCEANMAN Cam Ranh Vietnam 2024 and the first prize in the biathlon (3km swim, 15km run) in Quang Ninh Province. Currently, she is training hard in preparation for the upcoming National Swimming Championship in 2024.

Thuy Trang's achievements are not inferior to her sister's. In 2019, after a year of being a member of the Da Nang swimming team, she won a silver medal at the Youth Swimming Championship. Since then, the 16-year-old swimmer has continuously won gold medals at National Youth Swimming Championships.

Since the beginning of 2024, Thuy Trang has won a total of 15 gold medals at the National Youth Swimming Championships and the ASEAN School Games.

The impressive achievements of her sisters have inspired her younger brother Le Hoang Dong to make more efforts. After joining the city’s youth swimming team, he has strived to integrate with his teammates, aiming for the national youth swimming competitions next year.

Sharing about the results achieved, Thuy Trang said “These are the results of my continuous efforts. However, I will not stop but always tell myself to strive for better achievements in the future. At the Da Nang swimming team, I am lucky to have my sister and younger brother with me. In particular, coaches teach me very enthusiastically, helping me improve my skills every day”.

According to Coach of the Da Nang swimming team Hoang Dinh Long, Le Thi Nhu Quynh and Le Thi Thuy Trang have many years of training, proving their abilities and contributing valuable medals to the city's sports. Le Hoang Dong alone shows his great potential even though he has just joined the swimming team. All three are young, have a great passion for swimming, and have the potential to develop further in the future.

These athletes and their teammates at the Da Nang swimming team are being given good conditions by the coaching staff and the leaders of the Da Nang Athlete Training and Coaching Centre to train and compete in national and international swimming competitions.

Reporting by PHI NONG - Translating by M.DUNG