# Cindy Ong Pik Yin

Cindy Ong Pik Yin is a Malaysian competitive swimmer. She has been swimming competitively since 1989 and has qualified for 2004 Athens Olympic Games in four events. She is a five-time world champion.

## Early life

Ong was born in Ipoh, Perak, Malaysia. She is the younger sibling of Allen Ong, Malaysian former swimmer, and niece of Ong Mei Lin, who was one of Malaysia's first female swimmers to represent the country in the Olympics.

## Career
### Swimming

Training and competing throughout pregnancy, she clinched second place at the Malaysia Masters Speedo International Championship despite being 8 months pregnant.
In 2017, Ong competed in her first World Masters Championship.
Seven months following the delivery of her third child, she competed among 9,000 participants in the 2017 FINA World Masters in Budapest, Hungary, placing 5th in the 100m Freestyle event.
Her unique blend of physical & mental performance keeps her agile at 36 years old. She snagged the title of World No.1 in the 2020 FINA World Masters 50 meter Freestyle race.
Ong is currently ranked No. 2 in the 100 meter Butterfly, out touched by Spain's Erika Villa.

### Coach

Ong is also a certified swimming coach.
* Amateur Swimming Union of Malaysia (ASUM) Level 2 Swimming Coach
* Amateur Swimming Union of Malaysia (ASUM) Certified Swimming Instructor
* National Sports Council of Malaysia (NSC) Level 2 Sports Science
* Amateur Swimming Union of Malaysia (ASUM) Technical Official Grade 3
* Life Saving Society Malaysia (LSSM) Bronze Medallion
* Life Saving Society of Malaysia Certificate of Cardio Pulmonary Resuscitation (LSSM CPR)
* International Life Saver (ILS)
* Ex-head coach, Stingray Swimming Club (2006–2011)

## Accolades

She was presented with the title of Perak's Sportswoman of the Year in 2005, in recognition of breaking 5 Malaysia national records, winning 6 gold medals and bagging the Best Sportswoman title at the 2004 SUKMA Games.
For all of these, and for her significant contribution to the overall Malaysian swimming sport, Ong was awarded the Pingat Pekerti Terpilih title in 2006.
In the 2004 Sukma Games, Ong won 6 gold medals, contributed 12.8% of the medal tally for Perak and was awarded the Best Sportswoman Award.
In the 2019 FINA World Masters Championship in Gwangju, South Korea, Ong won 5 gold and 2 silver medals from that championship.
Shortly after, she was recognized by The Malaysia Book of Records for the Most Gold Medals Won by an Individual Swimmer in a World Masters Championship (FEMALE) in 2019.

## Education

Ong was awarded the Drury Academic Honor Scholarship and obtained a Bachelor of Arts (Hons) in Psychology & Sociology from Drury University, Missouri, United States.

## Personal life

Ong was married to an Asian American. She has three children: Hayden, Kiara, and Connor.

### Sexual Assault

In May 2021, Ong came forward on how she had encountered sexual harassment and assault over the years, including from a national coach when she was a teenager. After this was shared, then the former Youth and Sports Minister, Datuk Seri Reezal Merican Naina Merican ordered his officers and the National Sports Council (NSC) to contact and assist Ong and help lodge a police report about the acts committed on Ong. Ong decided not to pursue a case against the coach or publicly name him as she believed too much time has passed. Ong is now an advocate for anti sexual harassment and wishes to be a catalyst of change for others.

### Searching a missing plane

Ong's grandfather was reported to be one of the first Malaysians to own a private airplane. However, the current status and the condition of the airplane are unknown. Ong is now actively searching for the plane's current whereabouts.

## Prominent awards and rankings

| Year | Award | Category | Result |
| | All Time Top 10 FINA Masters World Ranking | 50m Butterfly Long Course 35-39 age-group | |
| 2020 | Japan Masters National Record Holder | 50m freestyle | Fastest, 26.71 |
| 2020 | Japan Masters National Record Holder | 100m butterfly | Second fastest, 1:04.31 |
| 2019 | FINA World Masters | | Multiple Gold Medalist |
| 2019 | Malaysia Book of Records for Most Gold Medals Won by Individual Swimmer in World Masters Championship (FEMALE) | | |
| 2019 | World Masters Rankings | 50m Butterfly Long Course | 2nd |
| 2019 | World Masters Rankings | 100m Butterfly Long Course | 1st |
| 2019 | World Masters Rankings | Relay 160-199 Mixed Freestyle Long Course | 1st |
| 2019 | World Masters Rankings | Relay 160-199 Mixed Medley Long Course | 2nd |
| 2019 | World Masters Rankings | 50m Butterfly Short Course | 3rd |
| 2019 | World Masters Rankings | 100m Butterfly Short Course | 3rd |
| 2017 | Japan Masters Ranking | 50m Freestyle Short Course | 1st |
| 2017 | Japan Masters Ranking | 25m Butterfly Short Course | 2nd |
| 2017 | Japan Masters Ranking | 50m Breaststroke Short Course | 1st |
| 2017 | Japan Masters Ranking | 50m Breaststroke Short Course | 1st |
| 2006 | Pingat Pekerti Terpilih (P.P.T) Title Recognition by the Sultan of Perak, Malaysia | | Awarded |
| 2005 | Perak SportsWoman of the year | | Nominated and chosen |
| 2004 | SUKMA (Malaysian Games) | 6 gold medals, 5 national records Awarded the Most Outstanding Female Athlete Award | |
| 2001 | JBP (Jasa Bakti PEMADAM) by Ministry of Education & United Nations (as a role model for the young generation) | | Awarded title |
| 2000 | Most Outstanding Female Athlete Award in SUPER, (Perak Sports) | | |

### Masters Swimming

Medal Record :
| Year | Competition | Location | Gold | Silver | Bronze | Record(s) |
| 2020 | Tokyoto Spring Short Course Meters | Tokyo, Japan | 7 | 1 | | 2 |
| 2019 | Milo/PraKL Age Group Swimming Championship | Malaysia | 5 | | | 5 |
| 2019 | SEASF Masters Swimming Championship | Jakarta, Indonesia | 10 | 2 | | 10 |
| 2019 | FINA World Masters Championship | Gwangju, Korea | 5 | 2 | | |
| 2019 | Super Renang/PIAG (Perak Invitational Age Group) Swimming Championship Ipoh | Ipoh, Malaysia | 2 | | | |
| 2019 | Aminovital Singapore Masters Swimming Championship | Singapore | 8 | | | |
| 2019 | Japan Masters Swimming Sprint Championship | Tokyo, Japan | 7 | 1 | | |
| 2019 | Speedo Malaysia International Masters Swimming Championship (MVP of the meet) | Malaysia | 13 | | | 11 |
| 2019 | Indonesia Open Aquatic Championship Master Swimming | Jakarta, Indonesia | 7 | 1 | | |
| 2018 | MILO/PraKL Age Group Swimming Championship | Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia | 3 | | | |
| 2018 | Southeast Asia Pacific (SEAP) Singapore | Singapore | 9 | 1 | | |
| 2018 | Malaysia Invitational Age Group Swimming Championship | Malaysia | | | 1 | |
| 2018 | Asian Masters Swimming Championship | Nagoya, Japan | 7 | | | 7 |
| 2018 | Asia Pacific Masters Games | Penang, Malaysia | 6 | | | 6 |
| 2018 | Singapore Masters Short Course Swimming Championship | Singapore | 8 | | 1 | |
| 2018 | Speedo Malaysia International Masters Swimming Championship | Malaysia | 5 | | | 5 |
| 2017 | Southeast Asia Pacific (SEAP) Singapore | Singapore | 9 | 1 | | 3 |
| 2017 | FINA World Masters Championship | Budapest, Hungary | | | | |
| 2017 | Japan Masters Swimming Sprint Championship | Tokyo, Japan | 8 | | | |
| 2017 | Speedo Malaysia International Masters Swimming, Championship | Kuching, Sarawak, Malaysia | 7 | | | 7 |
| 2016 | Southeast Asia Pacific (SEAP) Singapore | Singapore | 5 | | | 3 |
| 2016 | Japan Masters Long Course Swimming Championship (@ 3 months pregnant) | Japan | 5 | 1 | | |
| 2016 | Singapore Masters Short Course Swimming Championship (@ 6 months pregnant) | Singapore | 4 | 2 | 1 | |
| 2016 | Speedo Malaysia International Masters Swimming Championship (@ 8 months pregnant) | Malaysia | | 2 | | |

### Malaysian Amateur Swimming achievements

| Year | Achievements |
| 1998-2004 | Member of the Malaysian National Team |
| N/A | Multiple Malaysian Records Holder |
| 1998 - 2008 | Participated in 5 SUKMA (Malaysian Games) |
| 2004 | SUKMA (Malaysian Games) 6 gold medals, 5 national records Awarded the Most Outstanding Female Athlete Award. First time in Malaysian history for a swimmer to break 5 national records in a single meet |
| N/A | Qualified for Athens Olympic Games in 4 events |
| 2001 | Southeast Asian Games medalist, en route breaking the national record |
| 2000 | SUKMA (Malaysian Games) gold medal, national and meet record |
| 1999 | Malaysian Open gold medalist en route breaking 50m freestyle national record at age 15 |

### Collegiate achievements in the United States

| Year | Achievements |
| 2001-2004 | Drury University Athletic Scholarship recipient |
| N/A | Member of Drury University's Women's Varsity Swimming Team |
| N/A | Ranked top ten in 4 events in NCAA Division 2 top 50 times to date |
| N/A | Drury University team record holder of the 100, 200 Butterfly, 4 x 50 Freestyle Relay and 4 x 50 Medley Relay |
| N/A | NCAA Division 2 Championship qualifier – individual and team |
| 2004 | US National Champion & record holder in 200 Butterfly in NCAA Division 2 Swimming & Diving Championship |
| 2004 | Drury University's MVP Women's Program |
| 2003-2004 | Nominated and chosen as National Swimmer of the Week by collegeswimming.com twice in a season |
| 2002-2004 | Participated in varsity Conference and NCAA Division 2 Swimming & Diving Championship |
| 2002-2004 | Drury Panther Honor Roll |
| 2002-2004 | 18 times NCAA 2 All-American honor by the College Swimming Coaches Association of America |
| 2002-2004 | 8 times Conference (one of NCAA's conferences) Champion |
| 2002-2003 | Outstanding swimmer of the meet at Christmas Invitational at the University of Arkansas, Little Rock |
| 2002 | NCAA Division 2 Championship silver medal 200 fly |