Outside the pool swimming sensation Daniel Bego, who is headed for the 15th Asian Games in Doha next week, is just the average teenager who plays basketball and listens to rock music but simply loathes shopping.
AS a little boy, Daniel Bego loved being in the swimming pool just for the fun of splashing the water around. At that time, he had no thoughts of training, competing and winning medals.
However, swimming began to take a serious turn when he entered competitions at the age of seven, and now Daniel is one of the hottest new stars in the swimming scene. The talented youngster will represent the country in the 15th Asian Games in Doha next week.
He is now in the limelight as a result of his success in the pool, but Daniel, 17, remains unfazed by all the attention.
This, he says, is because of the firm grounding drilled upon him by his parents since he was a youngster.
“I am very relaxed about the attention and accolades I receive because my parents taught me from a very young age to develop humility,” he says simply.
This unassuming nature is one of his endearing qualities, as are his typical teenage nonchalance and friendly disposition.
“I’m lucky nobody recognises me when I’m out with friends,” he grins as he tugs at the cap on his head.
But it certainly looks like this could change especially since Daniel has been performing well internationally. In August, he bagged two silver medals in the 100m and 200m butterfly for the country at the World Youth Championships in Brazil. And just recently, he won the Bukit Jalil Sports School Sportsboy of the Year award.
Prior to that, in 2005, Daniel broke the national record in the 200m freestyle at the Islamic Solidarity Games in Saudi Arabia and bagged an incredible 10-medal haul at the 41st National Age Group Aquatics Championships the same year.
In the 2005 SEA Games in Manila, he won gold in the 200m freestyle and 100m butterfly, and a silver in the 100m freestyle.
Dressed casually in a pair of shorts, T-shirt and slippers, the 172cm-tall Daniel sports chlorine bleached long hair and long fingernails.
Doesn’t this get in the way of swimming?
“No, it doesn't and just before an international meet, I try to sport something different just as a sort of motivation,” he says with a laugh.
But Daniel assures that he will cut the hair and nails before the competition starts.
The youngest of six siblings, this Sarawakian was born in Miri and was raised there until he was in Standard Four when the family moved to Johor after Daniel was placed at the Bandar Penawar Sports School there.
“Miri was really a quiet place when I was there. You could lie on the road and no car would run you down,” says Daniel, describing his hometown.
Bandar Penawar and Bukit Jalil are sport schools for selected national athletes. They are given a little more flexibility to concentrate on sports while pursuing their studies.
“I am only taking my SPM next year so that I can focus on swimming competitions this year,” he explains.
In 2002, Daniel moved to Kuching to train for the Sukma Games and a year later he was back in Kuala Lumpur. Currently, the family lives in Sri Petaling, which is a very convenient location for Daniel who now trains and studies at Bukit Jalil.
”But the moving around has been all right because my family is very supportive of my swimming,” says Daniel who is of Iban-Chinese parentage.
Describing his family as very lively, encouraging and spontaneous in nature, Daniel says they are the driving force in his swimming pursuit.
In fact, his mother, Amy Wong, 57, gave up her nursing job to nurture and care for her children. Besides Daniel, his other half–sister Kimberly, 21, is also a swimmer and triathlete.
His father Henry Bego, 48, works offshore as a senior diving technician and is often away from the family.
“I guess he supplies the income while mum takes care of the family needs,” quips Daniel.
With a major competition coming up, swimming is currently taking up most of his time but Daniel, like most teenagers his age, also enjoys pursuing other activities such as surfing the Internet, going out with friends for movies or just hanging out and sleeping.
At present, his training programme includes having two swimming sessions per day – morning and evening – and he also builds strength by doing weight training, eating nourishing home-cooked meals and getting enough sleep.
He also enjoys playing games like basketball and likes listening to rock music.
“I like games such as basketball because it keeps me alert and focused when I'm doing an activity,” he says.
But one thing he does not like to do is shopping.
“Oh no, no, not shopping,” he visibly shudders at the thought.
As for female friends, Daniel says he is shy when meeting a new girl but once he warms up to them, he is fine.
So does he have a girlfriend?
“No, not at the moment,” he says bashfully.
For all his achievements in the pool, which have brought considerable attention onto his young shoulders, Daniel says he has no role model he looks up to but depends on himself to achieve his best. His ultimate aim is to swim in the 2008 Olympic games in Beijing.
“I'm very determined to achieve whatever I want,” he says with a noticeable glint in his eyes.
In the Asian Games in Doha, Daniel cites his main competitors as the Chinese, Japanese and Korean swimmers. At home, the swimmers that he trains with in Bukit Jalil, Melvin Chua and Kevin Yip, are his buddies as well as rivals in the pool.
Acknowledging that he won't be able to swim competitively forever, he says he plans to do it for another 10 years before calling it quits.
As for a career after swimming, the plucky youngster has set his sights on becoming a doctor, as he likes Biology, or a swimming coach in the future.
“Coaching interests me because I want to contribute what I have learnt in my swimming career,” he says.
In Doha, Daniel will compete in six events – the 50m, 100m and 200m butterfly and the 50m, 100m and 200m freestyle events. His favourite events, he says, are the 100m butterfly and 200m freestyle.
“I know I'm going to face tough competition out there but I will give it my best shot,” says a determined Daniel.
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