Swimming: US dream comes true for 14-year-old swimmer, family moves to Arizona to help childhood dream

Zachary, 14, and his family move to Arizona, realising S'pore swimmer's childhood dream

From left: Mikayla, Zachary, 14, Kyra, and Ayden Tan at the OCBC Aquatic Centre, where Zachary used to train and compete. The national swimmer will now train at the Phoenix Swim Club, where Olympic champions like American breaststroker Breeja Larson
From left: Mikayla, Zachary, 14, Kyra, and Ayden Tan at the OCBC Aquatic Centre, where Zachary used to train and compete. The national swimmer will now train at the Phoenix Swim Club, where Olympic champions like American breaststroker Breeja Larson and South African Roland Schoeman have trained. ST PHOTO: ARIFFIN JAMAR
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Since he was 10 years old, national swimmer Zachary Ian Tan has had a single request of his family: to train in the United States. His boyish logic was clear: If that nation produced so many swimming champions, then perhaps there must be something in the water.

His request has just been granted. Zachary, who turns 15 next month, left for Arizona yesterday with his family where he will train at the Phoenix Swim Club while his father Noel takes up a post as head of the international division at a finance company.

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A version of this article appeared in the print edition of The Straits Times on May 16, 2018, with the headline Swimming: US dream comes true for 14-year-old swimmer, family moves to Arizona to help childhood dream. Subscribe