Skip to main content
Partly Cloudy icon
39º

Around the Way with EJ: Pool talk with Olympian Ian Ho

‘Just work hard and shoot for the moon. The worst that could happen is that you land in the stars, am I right?’

ROANOKE, Va. – He made his first splash by the age of five at the Blacksburg Aquatic Center.

Ian Ho said his Dad would help him learn to swim by not being hands-on but rather hands-off.

“He would let go and take a couple steps back and I would have to swim after him and he really wouldn’t come over and save me until I started crying, or what not, or until I swam to him.”

Ian Ho chose the latter-- not only swimming to his Dad but surviving and thriving in the years to come. Most recently, it led to the Blacksburg native qualifying for Team Hong Kong in Tokyo Olympics.

Ho discusses the importance of faith and family as he strives to, “Shoot for the moon”.


Loading...
About the Author
Eric Johnson headshot

Eric is no stranger to the Roanoke Valley. He is a Roanoke native and proud graduate of William Fleming High School.