Clean Sweep For Sunway’s Shining Star | Stories of Success

19 year-old Katrina Ann Abdul Hadi, a Canadian International Matriculation (CIMP) student at Sunway College, despite her hectic training schedule as a swimmer, not only scored four A’s in her CIMP examinations but won five glittering gold medals in all the synchronised swimming events at the 26th SEA Games in Palembang, Indonesia this year.

The young achiever, who has made Malaysia proud, completed her SPM at the Bukit Jalil Sports School. Katrina represented Malaysia at the Commonwealth Games 2010 where she came in fourth and fifth placing for her solo performance while in the Asian Games in the same year, she came in sixth for her duet performance.


For her amazing achievements and for being an exemplary student, Katrina was given an upgrade of her Sunway Talent Scholarship – Sports, from 50% to a full scholarship recently. Should she decide to continue her studies at Sunway University, she will be offered a continuation of her scholarship into her university studies.


Asked how she managed to balance sports with her studies. Katrina replied, “As a national synchronised swimmer, I have to discipline myself to spend time studying as well,” she says. “It is not easy, but not impossible.”


For Katrina, studies have to be planned with her training schedule which always includes discussions with her coach, Long Yan from China. “A lot of planning is done before my exams including the CIMP exams,” she quips. “The CIMP is quite flexible and allowed me to balance my studies well with training.”


Typically her day starts at 6.30am in the pool with a training session until 9.45am. After that, Katrina attends classes. In the afternoon, after classes, she is back in the pool to train from 3 pm to 7.30 pm before she goes home and heads straight into her homework after dinner.


This is her routine six days in a week, Mondays through Saturdays. What drives her is certainly her passion for the sport and the determination to do well in her studies, too.


Katrina’s parents encourage her to do her best in everything she does. “My parents always encourage me a lot,” quips Katrina. Katrina’s mother is proud Sunway CIMP lecturer, Kimberly Ann Gagnon.

Prior to synchronized swimming which Katrina began at the age of 12, she was a gymnast. Swimming started more as a hobby. “I never dreamed that I would be a national swimmer,” she says. “It just happened!”.


A delighted Katrina could hardly contain her excitement after helping Malaysia to make a spectacular medal tally. “I came with only a three-gold target in mind and I’ve won five – that’s a real bonus. Right now my priority is to try and qualify for the London Olympics next year but it won’t be easy. My personal target is the 2016 Olympics and, hopefully, I’ll continue swimming until then,” says Katrina.


The Sunway Talent Scholarship – Sports is a scholarship provided by the Jeffrey Cheah Foundation.