Far From Home, a Cambodian on Ice
By Nuch Sarita, VOA Khmer
Original re****t from Wa****ngton
06 February 2008
For Michael Chau, last month's figure skating medal was nothing new,
but it was was something special.
The 17-year-old skater won a silver medal with his partner, Tracy
Tanovich, 11, in the Pairs Juniors Nationals, in St. Paul, Minnesota.
He earned the medal just 15 minutes from where his family lives, a
family he has been away from for five years, training.
The son of Cambodian refugees from Battambang who moved to Minnesota
27 years ago, Chau has been ice skating since he was 7.
"By the time Michael was 12, my wife and I recognized Michael's talent
and allowed him to go to Florida to train as a single skater," his
father, Thyna Chau, said in a recent interview.
The training led to partner skating with Tanovich, national
competitions and a bronze in the 2006 national champion****ps.
The two won the Novice Pairs competition at the US Figure Skating
Champion****ps in 2007.
"It was very difficult being away from my family at such a young age,
but I'm independent," Chau told VOA Khmer in a recent interview. "I
really enjoyed being on my own and getting to be my own person. And
Tracy and I have great sup****t at the rink."
The training has led to a close relation****p with his partner, he
said, one that he hopes will lead them to the Olympics in 2014.
Chau is now back in Florida, training.
http://voanews.com/khmer/2008-02-06-voa4.cfm
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