Sporting careers can fulfil fantasies and broaden horizons. Jeffrey Ong Kuan Seng did not just live the dream; his biography might be called the Ballad of East and West. Like Rudyard Kipling, one of Malaysia’s most celebrated swimmers knows that “the twain” can not only meet, but also enjoy the best of both worlds.

“With a dad from Penang and a mum from England,” he says, “I always aimed to have the best of East and West. And it’s not East versus West, it’s about balance, and I think I’ve achieved a good balance.” The way he’s kept his equilibrium, he’s the living embodiment – both in and out of the water.

GROWING UP IN PENANG
Maintaining equilibrium is a crucial part of swimming, which is a tough gig. Distance swimming is even tougher, and he did it the hard way. At 13, he went to an overseas boarding school; university was on yet another continent. But his horizon was already after all – didn’t matter because his intrepid future mum “took the leap,” as he puts it, into what was then a backward, third world country – and stayed.” They duly married, and by the time Jeffrey, the third of four children, was born in 1972, the family was ensconced on Penang Island, and so he began an idyllic childhood. “My dad was a swimmer,” he says, “as were my older siblings, Steven and Katerina. They used to go to the Chinese Swimming Club in Tanjung Bungah, and I would tag along. “By 11, I knew I had talent, and “Rina”, who won medals at the SEA Games and was Sportswoman of the Year in 1980, was my inspiration. The swimming coach, Lin Boon Lee, was a legend and helped me build the foundation for swimming success. “I went to Wellesley Primary and had one year at St Xavier’s Institution. Growing up in Penang then was amazing. It was all very harmonious. I had Malay, Indian, Chinese and broad, his balance worthy of a tightrope walker.

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