Lily Zhang May Be A 4-Time Olympian, Her Parents Still Want A 'Normal Job' For Her

Lily Ann Zhang reached the top 16 women's singles at the 2024 Paris Olympics as she beat Bruna Takashi of Brazil. Surprisingly, even then she faces the burden of expectations from her traditional Chinese parents.

Born in California to Chinese immigrant parents, Zhang is a four-time Olympian who first went to the games representing the USA in 2012 at the London Olympics. Presently at the age of 28, she continues to navigate her parents' expectations, often stereotypically associated with Asian immigrants, of academic excellence and of getting a "normal job".

Zhang grew up on the campus of Stanford University where her family lived with her. Her father was then a mathematics professor at the elite institute and her mother, was a former table tennis player who represented her province in China's Xi'an.

Zhang succeeds amid prejudical struggles

She began training professionally in table tennis when she was seven. The dining table of her tiny Palo Alto apartment doubled up as a table tennis table, according to the WSJ report. Furthermore, the dedicated player also began competing in international events in 2007

“We always try to convince her to stop playing. We just want her to have a normal job," Linda Liu told the Wall Street Journal. She even adds that they are traditional Chinese parents and would always aim for her to focus on school by being a regular girl.

Zhang agrees with her mother's views to an extent, as she believes that all it takes for a setback in a sporting career is an injury or a losing streak and then one is left with nothing.“There’s so many things that can happen which can take away your stability in an instant," Zhang said.

With her humble beginnings with Chinese immigrant parents, Zhang witnessed an inspiring growth journey, starting with representing the USA at the 2012 London Olympics. However, she did not have her parents’ support in the early days of her career, who wanted her to prioritize academics.

Even after her inaugural 2012 London Olympics, her parents had quipped, "Now, you can focus on studies.” Lily had almost quit table tennis after her graduation, deliberating over her parents’ suggestions.

However, despite the stereotypes and her parents’ expectations, Zhang seemed to have outstandingly excelled in her field and has proven her potential in table tennis over time.

Her parents were even among the biggest cheerleaders as she advanced to R16 at the Paris Olympics 2024.