Here’s looking at Yu, baby
Olympian couple game for ‘sport’ of parenthood
Camy Yu will not be short of motivation to reach the sky in her endeavours going by the ‘regal’ lineage of her parentage.
Fencer Yu Peng Kean and swimmer Eileen Nicole Leung Chii Lin are probably the first Malaysian Olympians to get hitched and Camy came into their world on Sunday, two hours short of being a Merdeka baby.
Malacca-born Peng Kean took part in the Olympic fencing competition in London in 2012. He is the second Malaysian fencer to compete at the Olympics – 48 years after Ronnie Theseira made his bow at the 1964 Games in Tokyo.
The 29-year-old 2011 SEA Games gold medallist fencer and now a coach was oozing with excitement after becoming a first-time father.
“Super excited in fact. I thought nine months was a long waiting time but the baby came faster than we imagined. And Eileen was like – a 50m freestyler – fast and steady,” said Peng Kean.
“It’s a new chapter for us and it’s definitely going to be challenging. I will have to learn the ropes of being a father.”
Sabahan Eileen was the nation’s top freestyle woman swimmer who went on to participate at the Beijing Olympics in 2008.
She was also in very good spirits despite having just given birth on Sunday evening.
“Very happy and excited to start this new journey with Peng Kean. Getting married was one thing but that didn’t affect our lifestyles so much.
“But now with a kid around, there will be a lot of changes,” said Eileen, also 29 years of age.
On her daughter getting into sports one day, Eileen added they will leave it to her to decide.
“Swimming is a must to learn because it is a safety skill. Fencing also because daddy is patient and it is an interesting sport.
“But we’ll be supportive parents and try to explore with her as much as possible.
“We had our ups and downs as athletes, so we know what the pros and cons are.
“For today’s generation, it’s good to have them explore more. If she really wants to be an athlete in the future, then she has to put in the effort but we’ll be supportive parents for sure.”