Disabilities didn't stop Zy from becoming an excellent swimmer

GEORGE TOWN: If 12 years ago his birth was greeted with shock and sadness by his parents due to his physical disabilities, but today the special child is the pride of his family because of his ability to swim like a normal person.
Zy Kher Lee, 12, was born with a complete left arm, half a right arm, no right leg and malformed left leg with only three toes.
Zy who was introduced to swimming when he was seven was initially scared of water but swimming sessions twice a week at the Penang Sports Club here made him fall in love with the sport and aspired him to be a paralympic athlete representing the country at the 2020 Paralympic Games.
"Swimming makes me feel normal. I love swimming. At first I was scared with water. Though it was difficult at first but after learning to swim from my father and coach I fell in love with this sport," he told Bernama here.
The pupil of Sekolah Rendah Jenis Kebangsaan Cina Perempuan Cina, Jalan Gottlieb, here said he was never ashamed of his disabilities and considered himself as normal as any other children.
The youngest of three siblings said his teachers also treated him like normal student because at school he was using prosthetic arm and legs.
Zy said he wanted to become a magician because he likes to impress people with his abilities.
Meanwhile, his coach, Adrian Chan, 61, said despite his disabilities, Zy managed to master four disciplines of swimming including butterfly and backstroke.
He said Zy had the potential to become a paralympic athlete in the future because of his strong determination to participate in the 2020 Paralympic Games.
"I learned so much from him. We enjoyed our sessions. He is willing to change and he wanted to do it," he said, adding that Zy won one gold, two silver and one bronze medal at the Para Circuit Swimming Tournament in Alor Star, Kedah last year.
Chan said he would give Zy a chance to participate in more swimming competitions to boost his confidence in preparing for paralympic competitions in the future.
Zy's father, Walter Lee said he would never isolate his son from outside world just because of his disabilities.
He said it was unfair for children with disabilities if their parents did not give them the freedom and opportunity to explore the world just like any other normal children.
"I simply could not bear to see my son, Zy, having to look up from his wheelchair whenever he talked to other people for the rest of his life. Our son must be given the same dignity as every normal person. He must be able to stand tall and talk to other people at normal eye level," he said.
The Penang-born celebrity chef in Bangkok said his son's name 'Zy' was from Hindi word 'jai' or victory in Thai language. — Bernama