Paul Lê Nguyễn (L), an overseas Vietnamese swimmer, and his coach Josie Pearson (Photo: Paul’s FB)

Born in the US to Vietnamese parents, Nguyễn competed for the Vietnamese national swimming team at the SEA Games in Malaysia five years ago for the first time and won bronze medals in the men’s 50m backstroke and 50m butterfly.

Born in 1992 in Oklahoma, Paul began competitive swimming at the age of eight. Now he is studying for a master's degree in business at Missouri State University, a school he's attending on a swimming scholarship. Paul was granted Vietnamese citizenship in 2015, which allows him to compete for the Vietnamese national team.