December 23, 2006

Aqua Boy: Enchong Dee

SOMEONE on the cusp of something big—that's the feeling you get when meeting Enchong Dee (Ernest Lorenzo Dee) for the first time. He's an Olympic swimming hopeful, a heartthrob in the making, and a boy well on his way to becoming a man. Turning 18 last November 5, he's got the world before him, ripe for the taking. Is he up for the challenge? Can he conquer his doubts? Can he "fly" with the best?

Called "Halimaw" by his teammates because of his powerful kick and speed, Dee looks more teddy bear then sea monster out of the water. Dressed in dark denims, a loose untucked black T-shirt, short hair neatly gelled and looking fresh out of the shower, his extra-wide shoulders are the only giveaway that he's an athlete.

In the Philippines, no one comes close to him in the butterfly, and those who have attempted to learn this stroke know that it's hands-down the hardest stroke to master, as it requires not only tremendous strength, but coordination. In fact, only five percent of swimmers have natural "fly" strokes, and thus it's considered a stroke for the elite few. Dee chose the stroke not because he wanted to be a show-off, but because, as a young boy, his coach's punishment was to make him practice the "fly" to the point that it became his favorite stroke.

Thrown in the pool at the age of 6, Dee showed his tremendous potential as soon as he started training in earnest. He won his first medal at the age of 7, as the most valuable player in his age group for the entire Luzon. It was his first ever competition. Over 350 medals later (including stints at the SEA Games and Asian Games), he seems a veteran at an age when most guys are still thinking of what they want to be when they grow up. With the butterfly as his stroke of choice, he has not taken the easy path to his goal—a shot at an Olympic medal. The Philippines has never won an Olympic gold in swimming, although we've bagged two bronzes, one in 1928 and one in1932. We've also brought home seven golds in the Asian games—four in 1951, two in 1954 and one in 1982.

The odds seem stacked against him, with 15 seemingly random choices of coaches. Consider, too, his first criteria for choosing a good coach, "someone who doesn't curse," followed by "someone who treats me maturely." It's not really solid ground for a future Olympic medal winner or aspiring athletic legend like his idol Michael Phelps, who, at the age of 19, won eight medals in the Olympics, including a gold for the 100-meter butterfly/medley, while breaking several world records. "I like Phelps not only because we have the same stroke, but because I admire his training, which is more mental then physical. I think my weakness is my mental game, as I sometimes have doubts about my ability to win. But my coaches believe in me, and so I work that belief into myself and just make it happen."

Dee's fastest time in the 100-meter butterfly is 56.5, which puts him at par with the world's top 10. Phelps' fastest time in the 100 meters is 51.10. "I keep myself motivated by thinking about the future and becoming an example to others. I actually want to see people outdo me!"

Dee doesn't grow his nails (to touch the wall literally by a nail's breadth), or shave off his body hair like Phelps, who does it four times a year, right before his big competitions, to cut through water faster. He doesn't have lucky trunks (he has 20, which he rotates in no particular order) or visualize every win the night before competition (he used to, when he was younger). He doesn't even believe in luck; for him, it boils down to hard training every day— that's a year and a half until the 2008 games. Dee averages about 14 kilometers a day in the pool, so at that rate he would have swum some 7,665 kilometers by the time the Olympics come along.

When asked about his strategy, he says it's all about discipline, hard work and eating extra vegetables. "I do get nervous before a race, but according to my friend that's a good thing, because it shows you're prepared and have given the race importance. But my first thought is always to enjoy the moment."

With a twice-a-day training schedule (5 a.m. to 7 a.m. and 6 p.m. to 8 p.m.) and school in between, does he even have a life outside the water? Like any 18-year-old, he has had his first bottle of beer (a San Mig Light), enjoys his junk food (caramel popcorn) and watches his fair share of TV. As expected, his future dates have to be non-cursing, God-fearing, Japanese food-eating and smartly conversing girls. Not expected was the fact that she does not need to know how to swim or have a great body. "I sometimes get attracted to fat girls with a sense of humor," Dee says.

We should not be surprised if this boy/man brings home the gold. When you think about a pool hall janitor learning to play billiards, or a diminutive boxer from GenSan with a smiling face becoming a world contender, you realize there is no foolproof formula for making your dreams come true—you just have to make it happen one day at a time.

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