LI, Kai Yien

Born 1972 in Hong Kong, Arthur Li used to be a chubby boy, overweight and struggling with asthma. One summer in the early 1980’s, he surprised family and friends with outstanding performance in a social club swimming gala. A doctor friend somehow got wind of Arthur’s impressive results and suggested that he should take up swimming in earnest so as to alleviate his asthma condition and improve his health in general. His parents obligingly signed him up for formal swimming lessons and spurred him on.
 
As Arthur’s passion in competitive swimming grew, he became more and more keen in the sport. In short, the pool was where his heart was and he never looked back. His years of persistent training under inspiring coaches paid off handsomely. At the young age of 16, he represented Hong Kong in the 1988 Olympics in Seoul.  He then went on to two more Olympics and is in fact the first and only 3-time male Olympian swimmer in Hong Kong. Along the way, he won numerous accolades, including the honour of being a flag bearer at the Opening Ceremony of the East Asian Games 1997 and a torch bearer at the Launching Ceremony of the 1997 China National Games. All these would not have been possible if not for his hard work and dedication, both in and out of the pool.

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To this day, Arthur swims whenever he has a chance. He also practices yoga on a regular basis. Being an athlete inside out, he has special interests in sports science, including training, recovery and dietary theories. He is currently a Member of the Swimming Committee and Honorary Secretary of the Masters Swimming Committee in the Hong Kong China Swimming Association.