Japanese-American Haley Ishimatsu, 15, Olympian

By John | Tuesday, August 5, 2008 | 2 Comments

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I caught this piece on the radio on NPR while driving home on Japanese-American, Haley Ishimatsu in “Calif. Teen Is Olympic Medal Hopeful”

“One of the best U.S. prospects for a gold medal in diving is 15-year-old Haley Ishimatsu. She’s 4 feet 9 inches tall and 83 pounds. Isimatsu is being mentored by potential Olympic teammate and U.S. diving legend Laura Wilkinson.”

What is most amazing is that Ishimatsu only took up diving about 4 years ago, mostly because her older sister was already a championship diver. She is one of only three female divers to perform a back 3 1/2 pike – one of the most difficult dives for a man or woman. Ishimatsu is the 2nd youngest American Olympian – the youngest being her partner Mary Beth Dunnichay in synchronized diving (I didn’t even know that event existed?!?!). For most of her childhood, she was mostly into gymnastics.

In doing some more research on the web, I came across an The Indianapolis Star’s piece on “Fascinating family history for Olympic diver Ishimatsu,” that Ishimatsu is a 4th generation Japanese-American, her grandparents were Japanese internees during World War II in Jerome, Arkansas and Gila, Arizona and her relatives emigrated from Hiroshima. Ishimatsu relocated to Indianapolis with her father to be close to the USA Diving’s national training center. The family’s home is in Seal Beach, Calif.

I’m sure all parents of young Olympians sacrifice a lot for their kids – but I wonder, if in stereotypical fashion, whether or not Asian American Olympian parents put more pressure and have higher expectations? To be honest, my parents never really pushed any athletic activities on my brother and I – though in retrospect, I wish they had, to build up a lifelong habit of exercise for staying healthy.

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For anyone who is interested there is an amazing documentary called Passing Poston. It is the tale of four former internees at the Poston Relocation camp during WW II. The film is a heart wrenching story, of the search to forgive a nation that turned its back to so many of its own citizens.

Its a must see! Its showing at the Pioneer Theater on August 8th till the 14th.

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