Inside HOKIE SPORTS | Vol. 10 No. 4 | March 2018

B eing a successful student-athlete takes more than just the effort on the part of the individual. The process takes a team, no matter what sport. No one knows that more than Virginia Tech swimmer Ian Ho. The former Virginia Tech walk-on has leaned on his parents, coaches, and teammates to make it to where he resides today. That support system has helped raise one of Virginia Tech’s top swimmers into a leader both in and out of the pool. Originally from Blacksburg, Ho never intended to leave the area that he had grown to love when it came time to choose a college. When one asks most high school students where they want to attend college, they say that that they want to leave their hometowns. They want to explore the world and see something new, while exhibiting a sense of independence. Ho, however, felt right at home and wanted to remain in Blacksburg. “The mountains here are beautiful, and I had no desire to leave,” he said. “Between New River [Community College] and Tech, they worked really well in terms of classes. I knew I was going to Tech before I knew I was going to swim for Tech.” Ho didn’t know he wanted to swim at the collegiate level right away. In fact, he never intended to swim in college. After talking to the coaching staff at Virginia Tech, he ended up walking on to the team. Tech head coach Dr. Ned Skinner, who has resided at the helm of the Virginia Tech swimming and diving program since 1998, knew there needed to be some significant work put in for Ho to contribute. “I remember, as a freshman, he could only do the 50 [-yard freestyle],” Skinner said. Ho didn’t have the best times his first year. His best time in the 50- yard freestyle was 20.25 seconds, and in the 100-yard freestyle, 45.39 marked his best time. Fast forward a few years, and Ho finds himself competing with the best that the ACC offers. His time of 19.34 in the 50-yard freestyle at the ACC Championships in February broke a school record that had stood for 10 years and enabled him to finish fifth. The Hokies’ sprinter also swam the 100-yard freestyle at the ACC Championships held in late February. In addition to these races, Ho was a member of the men’s 800-yard freestyle relay team that placed 24th at the NCAA Championships in 2017. He also qualified for the NCAA Championships in the 200- and 400-yard medley relays, and he received accolades outside the pool as well, earning a spot on the All-ACC Academic Team and earning College Swimming and Diving Coaches Association of America Scholar All-America honors. He finished eighth in the 50-yard freestyle at the ACC Championships last season, too. In 2016, Ho competed at the Olympic Trials and finished second in his heat and 36th overall in the 50-yard freestyle with a time of 22.94. So after barely swimming at the collegiate level to becoming one of the best sprinters to come through the Virginia Tech program, Ho has seen his swimming career come a full 180 degrees. “It’s been pretty surreal,” Ho said. “It’s been a great experience for me to know that I could have stopped swimming, but by being able to take it to the Olympic Trials and national championships last year and to NCAAs the year before, it’s been a road that I’m extremely grateful for.” For Skinner, the most rewarding part has been seeing Ho’s maturation process since coming to Virginia Tech. “How he has maintained being a kind, gentle person, somebody as fast as he has become, sometimes have a little swagger, cockiness to them …,” he said. “Ian is just one of the most kind-hearted people I’ve ever met. He’s fast, and he’ll swim fast, but he doesn’t have an attitude that goes with it. To me, he’s always been Ian Ho, whether he was 12 years old or now to an elite ACC finalist and NCAA qualifier.” Of course, Ho is known for more than just swimming at Virginia Tech. As a mechanical engineering student, he dabbles in 3-D printing, laser cutting, and just about anything that involves the use of his hands to build something. As a kid, Ho loved building things with his hands, and once he got to high school, he started taking engineering classes that accelerated his interest in the field. Not only did Ho take difficult classes, but he also received his associate’s degree from New River Community College while in high school. While at New River, Ho took a class taught by his father, Caisy Ho, who is a professor at the college. “He was a little harder on me, but what parent wouldn’t be,” Ian said. “Growing up with him as a teacher throughout my life, knowing the ways he wants to you approach a problem, definitely helped.” As for one of the sources for his dedication to swimming and school, the Blacksburg native credits his father. As a kid, Ho noticed how devoted his father was to his job, their family, and his faith. Those traits left an unforgettable impact. Ho’s willingness always to strive for more and never to settle also comes from his family. While Ho hails from Blacksburg, his family calls Hong Kong home. Ho recently visited the city of more than seven million people. “I still love Hong Kong as a city. Its super-fast paced, and the food there is amazing. It was good to visit family again,” he said. Now at one of the best engineering schools in the country, Ho, like many other athletes, has to balance his busy schedule. Participating in a Division I sport and in a demanding academic program leaves little free time during the day. 32 Inside Hokie Sports Continued on page 3 4