A champ in the making

opponents are older, bigger, and faster. And the runner knows she is not going to win the race.

But that won’t discourage the pint-sized and cheerful Lee Ying Jia at all.

For the 13-year-old Penang athlete knows her turn will come one day soon, that she will step on top of the podium as the gold medallist.

Ying Jia has all the makings of an athlete that will excel at national schools athletics championships (MSSM).

On Sunday, at the MSSM meet at the Educity Stadium in Iskandar Puteri, Johor, Ying Jia, the youngest in the field, finished sixth in the girls’ 3,000m Open.

She posted 11 minutes 58.55s while the winner, Taarini Chandra Mohan of Selangor clocked 11 minutes 9.30s.

Ying Jia competed against girls older than her by three to five years.

But she was not intimidated by their size or speed.

She just kicked in and ran her own race.

Later on Wednesday, Ying Jia did better, finishing fifth in the girls’ 1,500m in 5 mins 22.60s behind winner Nor Ainaa Balqis Hashim of Kelantan who clocked 5 mins 06.69s.

Ying Jia has proved to be good from sprint to distance events, having won the 100m, 200m and cross country races at the Penang schools Under-12 athletics championships.

She comes from a health conscious family where everyone loves to exercise.

“Every time I bring home a gold medal, my father (Lee Tian Heng) rewards me with angpow,” she said.

Her eldest sister, Lee Ying Ying, also represented Penang in the distance events in the MSSM.