"It doesn’t matter the color of your skin, or culture, we are all people who work hard at something."

Now more than ever, Yuk Ying Wong is feeling a sense of fortitude and vitality in ways that even she could not imagine.

Choosing to go by the nickname, YY, it’s short for her first two names. She claims, it is a perfect solution to offset difficulties some people had with pronunciation - and frequently led to embarrassing moments.

When you get to have a conversation with Wong, she’s a remarkable individual who clearly defines what it was like making adjustments after having moved to a new country, settling in, building a life style and becoming a Canadian citizen.

That was several decades back. Since then, she’s been a woman on a mission.

Wong will attest to some interesting times in her early years. There were challenges galore in many ways when she arrived with her husband and children from Hong Kong. They were in pursuit of a new beginning after having fears of a lifestyle change in the Far East that had created anxiety and stress.

A well educated individual and registered nurse, with training in everything from intensive care to administration, she gave it all up after arriving in Canada. For her, the focus was on entrepreneurship and proving to federal immigration officials that she could establish a business in fashion watches – much like what her husband had done successfully in their native land.

A mother of three adult children, each with successful careers, Wong was also a very good swimmer and had won numerous awards in her high school years. Her return to the pool came around 1999, after settling in York Region, when she signed her daughter up to a private swim club followed by a move to the Richmond Hill Aquatic Club.

It was during those frequent trips when driving to the pool, that Wong knew the time had come to get involved. A commitment was made to do more than just be a spectator watching at young swimmers learn, progress and have fun.

Now approaching her 24th year as a swim official, Wong believes that early volunteer work may very well have been the impetus to contribute in a variety of ways. Duties that included administrative work, timing, and the list goes on.

Time does go by quickly for this senior lady, who has the accreditation of a Level 5 master official – the highest level of certified authorization in Canada.

While the road to prominence and jubilation as an official is one thing, the life experience didn’t come easy.

There was the pain of dealing with abusive comments from individuals who didn’t think Asian people were capable of officiating. Instead of kindness and respect, there were times when she was subjected to volatile racist comments thrown her way such as insinuations that she belonged in a kitchen. The indignity and provocation would also continue at poolside during swim meets.

“When I came to Canada, it wasn’t easy for Asian people and I was looked at as a stranger, like an alien,” said Wong. “People questioned me because of my accent. There were times when I was scared and felt not welcomed. I wasn’t happy - and that’s after trying so hard to be included in the community.”

Determined and focussed, she persisted merging education, knowledge, and a desire to be successful at officiating. It was combined to encourage other people of Asian descent to get involved, join clubs and persevere.

She embraced her own core values that included devotion, integrity, and justice. Her noble and righteous conscience never wavered. It was always about grit, determination and doing the right thing.

For Wong, she often reminisces about moving from nursing to repairing watches to becoming a swim official. In 2007, she claims to have been the only Chinese female Level 3 official in Markham. Since then, Wong has become a leader, building on ability and stature in encouraging others to develop an enthusiastic passion for fulfilling their dreams.

“There are lots of Chinese swim clubs, but at one time the majority of coaches and officials were men,” said Wong, who devoted eight years in Richmond Hill and for the past 16 has been involved with the Markham Aquatic Club. “More women are seeing opportunities and it builds a sense of inclusion.”

In many ways, Wong has been the trailblazer. Her officiating career has included stints at a variety of high school, university, masters, and international meets. She also served as an official at the international Para Can-Am meets since 2010 and the Pan Am Games Open Water and Para Swimming Division in 2015.

There are many noticeable things about Wong and none more than sticking to her commitment of high standards of fair play, respect for others and, as an official, emphasizing accuracy and excellence.

Wong has been recognized for her work with a variety of special citations. They include the Roll of Honor award for 20 years of service as an evaluator and officials committee member by Swim Ontario, a club Volunteer of the Year award and being inducted to the Markham Aquatic Club (MAC) Hall of Fame for service to the club and sport.

“I am a very proud woman,” said Wong, owner of an illustrious swim officiating career. “As a person of Asian descent, I can say that I have worked as a swim official at the local, provincial and National levels.

“It doesn’t matter the color of your skin, or culture, we are all people who work hard at something. Many times we do it as a team and set an example for others that they can do the same.

“My job isn’t over, I’m going to keep at it (as an official) because I feel good and it gives me an opportunity to keep my brain working at something I enjoy. For me, it’s continuing to pass my knowledge to the next generation. To train officials for the future and show them that dreams can become a real thing.”

David Grossman is a veteran award-winning Journalist, Broadcaster with some of Canada’s major media, including the Toronto Star, SPORTSNET 590 THE FAN, the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation, and a Public Relations professional for 50+ years in Canadian sports and Government relations.