PETALING JAYA: Pain might have slowed him down, but it never stopped Wong Jun You in the Asian Youth Games in Bahrain.
Yesterday, the 14-year-old triathlete, who is youngest in the squad, battled through hamstring and shin injuries to complete the race that comprises of 400m swim, 8km bike and 2.5km run in 31:08 to place himself in the 23rd spot.
Jun You had sustained the injuries months earlier but refused to give up the valuable opportunity to represent Malaysia on one of the biggest stages for youth athletes.
After undergoing weeks of physiotherapy, Jun You was on the road of recovery before competing in Bahrain.
However, the hot and windy conditions during the race made it difficult for him to perform at his best, and he aggravated his injury after pushing himself too hard.
Despite not being able to achieve his goal of breaking his personal best of 27:16, Jun You chose to look on the bright side and take pride in his effort and resilience.
"I gave everything I had out there," said Jun You.
"Even with injuries, I wanted to finish strong.
"Finishing 23rd among so many strong athletes and countries wasn’t the result I hoped for, but I’m proud that I fought through and represented my country.
"I believe the motivation and support from everyone have made my future even brighter.
"I’ll keep moving, keep fighting and never ever give up."
Meanwhile, another Malaysian Ng Han Yang settled for the 16th spot with a timing of 30:12.
