Four-time Olympian Stephanie Au on the pressures of being a Hong Kong athlete and the fame her swift rise brought
- The 29-year-old swimmer reflects upon her journey in and out of the pool, and where she sees herself now as she trains for the 2022 Asian Games
- Au says ‘being vulnerable and crying seems like negative energy, but I know now it can be the best energy if you admit it and convert it’
Stephanie Au Hoi-shun’s life has been under a microscope for a long time.
The Hong Kong swimmer first went to the 2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing at the age of 16, and has felt the intense pressure of fame ever since. Now 29, with a Hong Kong record four Olympic appearances and a second career in the fashion and acting world, she reflected on how she’s handled it all.
“I wish I learned some of the lessons I’ve learned earlier rather than later,” said Au looking back on her journey. “And I wish I could have been more accountable when I was younger, and tougher mentally, more resilient.”
Au set three personal bests in Beijing in 2008, in the 200-, 400- and 800-metre freestyle, vaulting her onto the international stage, something she admits she wasn’t fully ready for. With the increased attention came a belief that she had to be tough to continue at such a high level, and that emotions were to be pushed to the side. She knows now that being tough means allowing yourself to be human.
“Being vulnerable and crying seems like negative energy, but I know now it can be the best energy if you admit it and convert it and be honest with yourself. And that is why being vulnerable and softer is important to me now.”