May 24, 2022
Continuing a legacy of greatness | Joan Shiao-Chen, Mustangs Swimming
The theme for Asian Heritage Month this year is "continuing a legacy of greatness", and inspired by this theme, Ontario University Athletics (OUA), in partnership with the Athletes for Change Alliance (ACA), is celebrating the legacies being created by our student-athletes of Asian descent.
Joan Shiao-Chen, a fifth-year year student-athlete from the Western Mustangs, who competed on the swimming team and studied engineering, shares her thoughts below.
Q1: As you continue to build a legacy of your own, what has your sport journey been like (i.e., how did you get started in your sport, what made you want to continue competing into the varsity level, do you have future sport aspirations beyond university, etc.)?
Sports have always been a huge part of my family. My parents appreciate how sport has a unique ability to unite people, so from a young age they encouraged me to try a large range of sports and activities. Swimming was the one that felt the most natural to me and I loved being a part of a competitive environment, so I stuck with it.
Q2: How has your Asian heritage helped shape who you are today?
Growing up, I often felt underestimated or neglected because of my Chinese heritage. People did not consider me capable of competing among the best, so I had to work harder to be noticed and appreciated. Many assume Asians, especially Asian women, are passive and do not engage in competitive activities, even though I was just trying to do what all of my classmates were doing. I think this helped me build up resilience and taught me the importance of earning attention for who I am, not just what I say or look like. I had to find confidence and strength in myself without relying on others.
Q3: What does it mean to you, as a student-athlete, to contribute to this continued legacy of greatness within and beyond the Asian community?
I hope the next generation of Asian-Canadian student-athletes are inspired to pursue their passions and work hard by seeing people who look like me succeed within our own universities, the OUA, and U SPORTS.
Q4: What are some of the things you're seeing/contributing to, whether on your team, your campus, your community, etc., that are helping to build on this legacy?
I started the Varsity EDI Committee to help promote anti-racism and inclusion on our campus by organizing events and sharing student-athlete stories. We also try to spread education and awareness to student-athletes using social media by highlighting cultural events such as holidays, celebrations, and days of recognition for minorities with the goal that all of our student-athletes can feel heard and welcomed on our campus.
Q5: What are some of the ways that others can contribute to this legacy and celebrate the achievements, accomplishments, and contributions of the Asian community?
I think the most important thing is to be accepting that we all have different experiences and may approach things differently. Small things like putting in a bit of extra effort to learn how to pronounce or spell my name correctly means a lot to me because it's so uncommon. This shouldn't be the norm. It is my goal that, through the training and positive reinforcement we are bringing to our campus, our student-athletes will be able to recognize that they may not know everything and that's okay as long as they are willing to learn.
Q6: What kind of legacy do you want to leave as a varsity student-athlete of Asian descent?
I hope people will see that no matter what background someone comes from, everyone should have a chance to use their voice and make an impact. Asian students should be given the same opportunities as anyone else, whether that is academically, athletically, or in the community.
Q7: What does Asian Heritage Month, and specific to this year, the theme of 'continuing a legacy of greatness' mean to you?
Asian people, like any other groups of people, have been doing great things for many years, but often go unnoticed. Having an Asian Heritage Month dedicated to showcasing these accomplishments is extremely important in showing not only younger Asian-Canadians, but also the rest of the world, that they can also succeed and achieve greatness with hard work and dedication.
Q8: Do you have any message/advice for future potential student-athletes of Asian descent as they are moving along their own sport journey and building a legacy of their own?
Believe in yourself and don't be afraid to speak up or try something against the grain.
Joan Shiao-Chen, a fifth-year year student-athlete from the Western Mustangs, who competed on the swimming team and studied engineering, shares her thoughts below.
Q1: As you continue to build a legacy of your own, what has your sport journey been like (i.e., how did you get started in your sport, what made you want to continue competing into the varsity level, do you have future sport aspirations beyond university, etc.)?
Sports have always been a huge part of my family. My parents appreciate how sport has a unique ability to unite people, so from a young age they encouraged me to try a large range of sports and activities. Swimming was the one that felt the most natural to me and I loved being a part of a competitive environment, so I stuck with it.
Q2: How has your Asian heritage helped shape who you are today?
Growing up, I often felt underestimated or neglected because of my Chinese heritage. People did not consider me capable of competing among the best, so I had to work harder to be noticed and appreciated. Many assume Asians, especially Asian women, are passive and do not engage in competitive activities, even though I was just trying to do what all of my classmates were doing. I think this helped me build up resilience and taught me the importance of earning attention for who I am, not just what I say or look like. I had to find confidence and strength in myself without relying on others.
Q3: What does it mean to you, as a student-athlete, to contribute to this continued legacy of greatness within and beyond the Asian community?
I hope the next generation of Asian-Canadian student-athletes are inspired to pursue their passions and work hard by seeing people who look like me succeed within our own universities, the OUA, and U SPORTS.
Q4: What are some of the things you're seeing/contributing to, whether on your team, your campus, your community, etc., that are helping to build on this legacy?
I started the Varsity EDI Committee to help promote anti-racism and inclusion on our campus by organizing events and sharing student-athlete stories. We also try to spread education and awareness to student-athletes using social media by highlighting cultural events such as holidays, celebrations, and days of recognition for minorities with the goal that all of our student-athletes can feel heard and welcomed on our campus.
Q5: What are some of the ways that others can contribute to this legacy and celebrate the achievements, accomplishments, and contributions of the Asian community?
I think the most important thing is to be accepting that we all have different experiences and may approach things differently. Small things like putting in a bit of extra effort to learn how to pronounce or spell my name correctly means a lot to me because it's so uncommon. This shouldn't be the norm. It is my goal that, through the training and positive reinforcement we are bringing to our campus, our student-athletes will be able to recognize that they may not know everything and that's okay as long as they are willing to learn.
Q6: What kind of legacy do you want to leave as a varsity student-athlete of Asian descent?
I hope people will see that no matter what background someone comes from, everyone should have a chance to use their voice and make an impact. Asian students should be given the same opportunities as anyone else, whether that is academically, athletically, or in the community.
Q7: What does Asian Heritage Month, and specific to this year, the theme of 'continuing a legacy of greatness' mean to you?
Asian people, like any other groups of people, have been doing great things for many years, but often go unnoticed. Having an Asian Heritage Month dedicated to showcasing these accomplishments is extremely important in showing not only younger Asian-Canadians, but also the rest of the world, that they can also succeed and achieve greatness with hard work and dedication.
Q8: Do you have any message/advice for future potential student-athletes of Asian descent as they are moving along their own sport journey and building a legacy of their own?
Believe in yourself and don't be afraid to speak up or try something against the grain.
