Bagong IOC member na si Michelle Yeoh, hindi pinangarap na maging artista kundi maging isang Olympian
Michelle Yeoh, the first Asian woman to win an Academy Award, was one of eight new members voted in on the final day of the 141st IOC session (AFP)
Sinabi ni Michelle Yeoh na gusto niyang maging isang Olympian bago siya naging isang artista. Ito ay matapos siyang mahalal sa International Olympic Committee (IOC).
Sinabi pa ni Yeoh, na unang Asian woman na nanalo ng isang Academy Award makaraang mapili bilang best actress para sa pelikulang “Everything Everywhere All at Once,” na umaasa siyang magagamit ang bago niyang papel upang ipagpatuloy ang kaniyang trabaho sa mga refugee.
Isa siya sa walong bagong mga miyembrong nahalal sa huling araw ng ika-141 sesyon ng IOC sa Mumbai, India.
Bago ang botohan, si Yeoh ay ipinakilala ni Princess Ann ng Britanya na siyang chairperson ng member election committee ng IOC, bilang isang “Malaysia junior squash champion.”
Ayon kay Princess Ann, “Sadly, her other different skills took her away from her sporting life but a very fulfilled career and a lot of interest in sport throughout that.”
Sa kaniyang pagsasalita sa harap ng mga mamamahayag, sinabi ng nakangiting si Yeoh, “I remember when someone asked me how did you become an actress and I always said ‘I never dreamed of being an actress, but as a child I always dreamed of being an Olympian.’ Sports was very much part of my life growing up, I was very much involved with squash, athletics, swimming and diving.”
Dagdag pa niya, “I hoped I could ‘marry’ my experience of being a successful actor with the knowledge gained from being a goodwill ambassador for the United Nations Development Programme. When I see Team Refugee (the Olympic team composed of refugee athletes) it moves me and I feel that could be a very, very good place to start because I have already been working with that. In the camps, it’s true, when you see the kids they don’t have anything and you have to give them hope. Somehow I feel sports do that.”
Kasunod ng kaniyang pagkakahalal sa pamamagitan ng 67 botong pabor kontra sa siyam na hindi pabor, at isang nag-abstain, sinabi ni Yeoh na maraming pagkakatulad ang pag-arte at ang top-level sport.
Nang tanungin kung paborito pa rin niya ang sport na squash, sinabi ng 61-anyos, “It used to be, but then two knee surgeries, a bad back. Now I do a lot of free shadow boxing because I still do martial arts in my movies. So I keep up with hiking and swimming, which is one of the more gentle sports to do.”
Ang Hollywood ‘breakthrough’ ni Yeoh ay nangyari nang maging isa siya sa cast ng 1997 Bond film na “Tomorrow Never Dies” bilang ka-partner ni Pierce Brosnan, at nagkaroon din siya ng reputasyon sa martial arts movies na kinabibilangan ng “Crouching Tiger Hidden Dragon.’
Binigyang-diin niya na mabibigyan pa rin niya ng oras ang IOC sa kabila ng kaniyang ‘busy screen career.’
Aniya, “If you are passionate about what you do, you will find the time. We all bring something valuable to the table and I think that is why everyone who is part of this family has been chosen for very good reasons and I’m grateful I have this opportunity.”
