After 27 years of serving the community, the “Dolphin Swim Training Center” unveiled its new flagship swimming pool at New York University with a grand opening on June 23rd. Following the opening ceremony, 40 students from four schools participated in a swimming relay competition. Additionally, two Chinese-American Olympic athletes who grew up training at the swimming center shared their experiences of growth and advancement to prestigious schools.
Congressman Meng Zhaowen, State Senator Liu Chunyi, State Assemblyman Jin Duoxi, City Council member Huang Minyi, and others attended to congratulate the center. They expressed that the establishment of the center will benefit in nurturing future community leaders and assist young individuals in achieving their dreams.
The head coach of the Dolphin Swim Training Center, Tiffany Yeh, expressed heartfelt gratitude to the community for their support. She is a licensed coach with over 30 years of impressive teaching experience, a former champion in collegiate swimming on the East Coast, a member of the American Swimming Coaches Association, the World Swimming Coaches Association (WSCA), and the American Red Cross.
Tiffany Yeh shared that over 30 years ago, while in college, her career goal was to have her own swimming facility. She embarked on the lengthy process of building a pool, facing numerous challenges, delays, emotional and financial burdens. Despite moments of despair and thoughts of giving up, her unwavering sense of duty encouraged her to persevere, culminating in the completion of the pool after a decade.
Established in Manhattan in 1997, the Dolphin Swim Training Center is one of the oldest swimming centers in New York City. They currently have classes in Queens, Brooklyn, and Long Island. The new flagship location at 133-31 32nd Avenue boasts a heated pool with four lanes. Tiffany Yeh mentioned that the center employs a small class system with over 100 excellent coaches, each instructing no more than four students. This approach allows students to easily grasp swimming techniques in a short time. With year-round classes, the center has nurtured tens of thousands of students over the past 27 years.
Former students of the Dolphin Swim Team, Lia Neal, a world Olympic medalist, and Stanley Wong, a participant in the U.S. Olympic trials, shared their experiences of academic success and personal growth.
Lia Neal, a biracial individual with a Chinese mother and Hispanic father who speaks fluent Cantonese, won silver and bronze medals at the 2012 and 2016 Olympics. She began swimming at the age of 6 for safety reasons but her Olympic dreams soon followed. Through the rigorous training and dedication at the Dolphin Swim Training Center, her swimming skills significantly improved. Swimming accompanied her through 20 years of growth, leading to undergraduate admission to Stanford University, postgraduate studies at Harvard University, and her graduation this past June.
“Dolphin swimming has played a crucial role in my achievements today,” she said. Swimming has brought her happiness and fulfillment, “it is an important lesson that you can perpetuate throughout your life.”
Stanley Wong, who graduated from Columbia University this year, credited Dolphin Swim coach Tiffany for inspiring his growth. “She has undoubtedly helped me become who I am today.” He shared that everyone should have long-term goals to strive for, and based on this, he wrote down his short-term goals. “When I was striving for Olympic selection, I wrote down the time I wanted to succeed, put it on my desk, and on the wall in front of me, I did this every day.”
Both athletes’ parents attended to congratulate the completion of the new swimming pool. They unanimously expressed that their children’s experiences had helped them gain admission to Ivy League schools. At the opening ceremony, the parents of the 40 students participating in the swimming relay race were present to cheer and applaud their children.