T
hirteen-year-old Ivy
Richter knows all about
hard work. As one of
Hong Kong’s elite junior
swimmers, she spends up to 16 hours
in the pool each week, covering an
average distance of six kilometres per
training session.
Ivy’s morning typically starts
at 5am with two hours of training
before heading to class at Hong Kong
International School. She often isn’t
home until 7pm, following another
two-hour session after school, plus an
hour in the gym. Her dedication and
commitment has led to lofty accolades:
several national awards and more
medals than she can count from swim
meets all over the world. But success
hasn’t come without a cost.
For today’s young athletes,
dedication to their sport can
lead to huge personal rewards.
But what happens when injury
strikes?
Katrina Shute
finds out.
Injury
time
June 2014
55
