This WA student’s Olympic dreams lie in the ‘fastest sport in the world’
Mention the Olympic Games and the sports that come to mind are likely swimming, or track and field events.
But for one young West Australian with dreams of an Olympic future, it is not the obvious sports that have sparked the dedication to train for hours every day.
Year 10 Perth Modern student Chelsea Wu is an Olympic Games hopeful.
Instead, it’s table tennis.
Chelsea Wu, 14, has been playing the game for six years – inspired to start by her older sister – and has already represented the state at international competitions in the Philippines, Malaysia and China.
She was also the first from WA to qualify for the finals in the under-17 girls category at the World Table Tennis Youth Contender championship.
“It’s a dream come true to play at international level. When I started, I really wanted to go to the Olympics, so this is a milestone towards that goal,” Chelsea said.
“To be selected for the Olympics, I would need to keep up my training schedule and increase the number of international competitions I compete and do well in.
“I train almost every day for about two to three hours, around 20 hours per week, especially leading up to competitions, either with state coaches at the Table Tennis Western Australia centre or the state coaches train with me at my house.”
She described the sport as “thrilling” and “fast-paced”.
“I believe it’s one of the fastest sports in the world. You must think very quickly on your feet and use all the strategies you have been training for,” she said.
Her school, Perth Modern, has table tennis tables set up for students to play during physical education lessons, although Chelsea tries to take a break from the sport when she’s at school.
However, she did join in for the WA Interschool Table Tennis Competition – playing a pivotal role in leading the team to victory alongside fellow teammates Jasmine Wu, Jethro Chen and Kye Ng.
Principal Mitchell Mackay said the school was “immensely proud” of Chelsea and the work she had put in alongside study to achieve her dream.
“We look forward to witnessing her continued success both on and off the table tennis court,” he said.
Chelsea recently played in the 2025 Ford & Doonan Hot Shot Open Table Tennis Championship.
She finished in first place for both the mixed open doubles and women’s doubles.
She was nominated by Table Tennis Australia to compete in the 2025 World Table Tennis Youth Contender championship which was recently held in the Philippines.
Her father, Johnny Wu, said he was proud of Chelsea’s “persistent dedication and strong mentality”.
“It can be nerve wracking watching very close matches, but it is also enjoyable to see the growth of Chelsea as a player physically and mentally through these thrilling encounters as she strives to be her best,” he said.
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