Attending the SEA Games without using a single penny of the state budget.

From driving for Grab, teaching swimming, working as a personal trainer, to applying for assistant coaching positions, Lam Quang Nhat went through it all to become a "100% self-funded" athlete on his journey to participate in his 7th SEA Games.

Lam Quang Nhat has been self-reliant throughout many recent SEA Games - Photo: Provided by the interviewee.

The courage to leave the life of a "fighting cock"

"Socialization" is a term frequently mentioned in the strategies of Vietnamese sports towards the SEA Games, Asiad, and the Olympics.

But generally speaking, it's just a problem for the industry and the federations. And most Vietnamese fans still believe that their national supporters are still "too young to understand, too inexperienced," and that they are stars who have grown up using the traditional "training of fighting cocks" method of the sports industry.

Ten years ago, there was a young man named Lam Quang Nhat who was just like him. He was part of the "golden generation" of swimmers, competing alongside Anh Vien and Quy Phuoc in the swimming events at the SEA Games from the early 2010s.

Lam Quang Nhat and the Spring issue of Tuoi Tre magazine for Tet Giap Ngo (2014), after he set a record at the 2013 SEA Games - Photo: Provided by the author.

At the 2013 SEA Games, Lam Quang Nhat set a record by becoming the youngest Vietnamese athlete to win a gold medal that year (at 16 years old), with a victory in the 1,500m freestyle race. Two years later, he won another gold medal, breaking the record again, and then added a silver medal at the 2017 SEA Games.

Then, right after that year's SEA Games, Lam Quang Nhat shocked the national swimming team by announcing his retirement. The reason given was to focus on his studies. At that time, Nhat was only 20 years old and still at the peak of his form.

"At 20, I was really tired of the life of a competitive athlete. I started swimming at a young age, competing when I was 5 or 6, and I joined the national team at 10."

"As I grew older, I reflected and sometimes thought: I've never lived a normal life, and when I retire, I don't know how I'll make a living. I was depressed during that period, but I overcame it. However, the question of the future still weighs heavily on my mind," the swimmer from Saigon shared.

Lam Quang Nhat teaches swimming to make a living - Photo: Provided by the interviewee

When he said he was going to quit, he did so decisively and with great determination. Lam Quang Nhat returned to university at a sports teacher training college to complete the studies that had been delayed due to years of continuous training and competition...

Leaving the life of a "champion" is not easy at all, especially when Vietnamese sports have been far behind the "professional" level for many decades.

"There were times I worked as a Grab driver, then I did my usual job teaching swimming. That was also the first time in my life I received money that didn't come from the state budget, the system, or a national bonus."

"It was tough, but I've never regretted it. I'm aware that an athlete's career is short, and you can't be invested in forever. I want to find a secure future," Lam Quang Nhat shared.

Second career

At the 2019 SEA Games, much to the surprise of many former teammates and teachers, Lam Quang Nhat was included in the list of athletes for the delegation. However, he was no longer competing in swimming, but as a triathlete.

Triathlon (swimming, cycling, and running) is not just a sport at the SEA Games, but also a modern sporting trend. Understanding this trend, Lam Quang Nhat found a path that is both youthful and modern, while also utilizing his strengths.

At the 2019 SEA Games, he only participated to test his abilities, similar to the fledgling steps of the swimming, cycling, and running movement in Vietnam, which could not yet compare with regional countries like Thailand, Malaysia, Singapore, and the Philippines...

After the SEA Games, Lam Quang Nhat decided to build a second career as an athlete.

From swimming to swimming-cycling-running, it may seem like a simple step. But from a competitive athlete to a socially-oriented athlete, it's a whole new career journey.

Unlike athletics and swimming, triathlon has not received significant investment from the government, and athletes like Lam Quang Nhat are considered the pioneers of this movement in Vietnam.

To compete at the professional level, athletes need experts and training. And for over five years, this former star swimmer has been struggling on his own.

A month before the 2025 SEA Games, Lam Quang Nhat returned home for a brief one-day visit before going back to his training camp in Phuket (Thailand). This is where he has been training in phases for over two years, starting before the 2023 SEA Games, with the most recent phase lasting from the beginning of this year.

Lam Quang Nhat covered all his training expenses in Thailand himself - Photo: Provided by the interviewee.

The head of the triathlon training center in Phuket is Jurgen Zack, a renowned expert from Germany. Zack opened the academy in Phuket, turning it into an ideal training camp for the sport in Southeast Asia.

Following a recommendation from a Thai friend, Lam Quang Nhat came here for a one-month trial training session. The cost of around 500,000 VND per day, just for training, somewhat discouraged the former swimmer.

"I saved up from my time as a swimmer, and then over the years working as a Grab driver and teaching swimming, I managed to save a little more. I knew I needed to invest, I needed to be willing to take risks, for success to come," Lam Quang Nhat said.

So, Lam Quang Nhat packed his bags and went to Phuket. He boldly proposed becoming an assistant coach to Jurgen Zack, and the German expert accepted his proposal.

With his expertise in long-distance swimming, having won two gold medals in the 1,500m race at the SEA Games, Lam Quang Nhat took on a job as a swimming coach at the center. Thanks to this job, his training costs were significantly reduced, and for over two years he has been diligently training in Phuket.

No other top Vietnamese athlete has received such long-term, consistent, and dedicated training abroad.

Lam Quang Nhat has been training relentlessly for many years - Photo: Provided by the interviewee.

Lam Quang Nhat covered everything himself, earning his own money, finding sponsors, coaches, experts, and training locations... In today's sports world, the former Saigon swimmer is truly a unique figure and a pioneer in the trend of modern professional athletes.

That path was not easy. In his swimming career, Lam Quang Nhat easily won medals in three consecutive SEA Games. But in triathlon, he has yet to reach his medal goal, as countries like the Philippines, Indonesia, and Singapore have been ahead of Vietnam for a long time in this sport.

But it doesn't matter, an athlete brave enough to leave their comfort zone to start a career, an athlete who came to the SEA Games without needing a single penny of government funding...

Vietnamese sports have always reserved the most prominent positions for Nguyen Thi Anh Vien, Nguyen Thi Oanh, Hoang Xuan Vinh, and there is also a special place for Lam Quang Nhat.

Diligently improving running skills

Although he hasn't yet made it into the top 3 in Southeast Asia, Lam Quang Nhat has dominated triathlon races in Vietnam for the past three years, thanks to his superior swimming skills.

Not only that, this former long-distance swimmer has continuously improved his running and cycling skills over the past three years. Lam Quang Nhat admits that running is his biggest weakness, and after a year of relentless training in Thailand, he is confident that he will improve his running performance at the SEA Games by more than two minutes.

At the 2025 SEA Games, the triathlon will take place in Chonburi province from December 17 to 19.

Back to the topic

HUY DANG

Source: https://tuoitre.vn/den-sea-games-ma-khong-dung-mot-dong-ngan-sach-20251127191121391.htm