NEW YORK—Brooklyn native Lia Neal is a 17-year-old swimmer who is competing in the upcoming 2012 London Olympics. Neal recalls one of her earliest experiences in the water. During a beginner swimming lesson, Neal raced with older children, losing badly—she stopped at 25 meters.
“It was the hardest thing I’ve ever had to do,” she joked.
This time, racing against the country’s top swimmers—with many that are twice her age—Neal placed fourth in the 100-meter freestyle race at the Olympic trials Saturday night.
Many kids dream of going to the Olympics. For Neal, “it didn’t seem possible until a month ago,” she said at a press conference at Asphalt Green Thursday.
African-American Dad, Hong Kong Mom
Neal’s father, Rome Neal, and her mother, Siu Neal, met at the New York City College of Technology—neither were athletes. Siu studied accounting in college, and Rome Neal is now a theater director.
“I knew nothing about sports,” Siu said.
Neal began to take swimming lessons for fun at age 6. At 8 years old, Neal told her mother she wanted to start swimming competitively.
