Anh Vien tells the story of transforming into a model and receiving a house from a tycoon after retiring

Appeared in simple clothes, beautiful face in the programThe Khang Show, "little mermaid" sincerely shares about her swimming journey and current life after retirement.

Anh Vien’s journey to swimming began with a school competition when she was in 5th grade. The competition required her to swim across a river, and she impressed her physical education teacher. Since then, she was discovered, trained, and taken to participate in major national and international tournaments.

However, the path to becoming a professional athlete is not easy. At first, Anh Vien’s parents did not agree to let her pursue swimming, but thanks to the encouragement from her teachers, they gradually accepted it.“The life of an athlete is very simple, eat, rest and train. We just need to try our best, without thinking too much,”she said.

Anh Vien loves the backstroke the most, because this is the strength that helped her stand out since she was little. It is this technique that has brought her many achievements in her career, including the Gold Medal at the Youth Olympics in 2014. That achievement is especially memorable, because people only expected her to win a medal without setting the highest goal, and Anh Vien excelled beyond expectations.

In her career, Anh Vien remembers the failure at SEA Games 17 the most. At that time, she came in second even though she was only slightly behind her opponent.“I am not a speed swimmer, but my coach always wanted me to perfect all my techniques. Therefore, speed swimming was like torture for me. That year, I was determined to change the color of my medal and win 9 more medals. Although I had prepared carefully, I still lost by a narrow margin, it was a pity that I was just a little slower.”.

Despite her regrets, Anh Vien said she was still satisfied because she had surpassed her own limits:“With enough desire, I believe I can become an endurance swimmer or a speed swimmer.”.

The 27th SEA Games in 2015 in Singapore was the most memorable milestone for Anh Vien, when she won 8 Gold Medals and 2 Silver Medals. This achievement not only marked the peak of her career but also helped the Vietnamese public pay more attention to swimming.

At the peak of her career, Anh Vien decided to retire for many reasons. She wanted to complete her unfinished studies, explore life outside and experience things she had not had the chance to try. In addition, the change of coach made her feel out of harmony.“I couldn't stand the pressure, so I decided to stop. At that time, I really wanted to return to my old achievements, but I had to accept it."she shared.

Despite her regrets, Anh Vien does not regret her decision. When she retired, she also refused invitations from other units because she did not want to represent outside the military environment - the place that nurtured and trained her.

After retiring, Anh Vien unexpectedly became successful on TikTok, attracting a large number of followers. She shared:“I was shy at first, but with the encouragement of my friends, I became more confident and started sharing content on social media."

Recently, Anh Vien tried her hand at modeling, surprising fans with her different image even though she only wore light makeup, but it was enough to highlight her pretty face. Her toned body and 1.73m height help her easily conquer many designs, from youthful short skirts to mature, elegant office dresses. In particular, her bright smile and confident posing are especially attractive.

Anh Vien's transformation was so dramatic that some people even speculated that she had undergone plastic surgery. The former athlete had to speak up to clarify:"Vien didn't get a nose job. Before, he practiced breathing a lot so his nose must have been big. Now that he's stopped practicing, his nose is neat again."".

Share inThe Khang Show, Anh Vien said that although she had tried her hand at modeling, she had no intention of changing her career direction and would still focus on swimming. She only saw this as an opportunity to improve her appearance and discover new things.

Anh Vien currently lives in an apartment in District 9 – a gift from a benefactor after her excellent performance at the SEA Games. This is also where she opened a swimming club, in addition to being a coach at the Canadian International School in District 7.

"My first club was opened in a residential area where Uncle Bay gave me an apartment. In 2015, I won 8 Gold Medals and he gave me an apartment there. After I said I would stop competing in swimming, he always supported me so that I could enter the swimming pool in his project area and open a club there.", Anh Vien said.

This made MC Nguyen Khang amazed and wondered who "Uncle Bay" was and why he was so kind. Anh Vien revealed more:"Both Uncle Bay and Aunt Bay have loved me and supported me in everything since I retired from my top swimming career."

Talking about her reaction when her uncles gave her the house, the "golden girl" confided: "I was very surprised. My family and I were very happy. He even gave me the apartment and decorated all the furniture in the house. I just had to move in. Currently, I still live there with my younger brother and a cousin. The apartment is quite spacious, with 2 bedrooms and 2 toilets."

Anh Vien revealed that she was given a motorbike in 2013 but she no longer rides it. In 2021, when she founded the club, she sold it. As for the rewards in her career, she sent most of them to her parents. Anh Vien wants to be self-sufficient and sold the motorbike to have more motivation. When she needs to travel, she takes a motorbike taxi or hitchhikes.

When asked why a famous athlete, rumored to have a "huge" income, doesn't have a car, she said:"It's because I did it myself, not because it was difficult. At that time, I didn't accept advertising contracts because I didn't know anything and didn't use social networks. Now I'm loved by many people on Tiktok."

Anh Vien is studying for her master’s degree at the University of Physical Education and Sports. Her current day consists of going to school in the morning and working as a swimming coach in the afternoon. Her main job is to teach advanced techniques to students, so she doesn’t need to be in the water.

She hopes to open a professional swimming center in the future, planning to teach swimming for free to disadvantaged children, and at the same time search for talents to nurture into excellent athletes.

“Swimming is simple and suitable for everyone. I hope to inspire and help many people overcome their fear of water,”Anh Vien shared with a bright smile.