Cindy Ong Pik Yin

Cindy Ong Pik Yin is a Malaysian competitive swimmer. She has been swimming competitively since 1989. She is a five-time world champion FINA World Masters.

Early life Ong was born in Ipoh, Perak, Malaysia. Malaysian former swimmer, and niece of Ong Mei Lin, who was one of Malaysia's first female swimmers to represent the country in the Olympics.

Career

Swimming Training and competing throughout pregnancy, she clinched second place at the Malaysia Masters Speedo International Championship despite being 8 months pregnant.

She achieved the title of World No.1 in the 2020 FINA World Masters 50 meter Freestyle race.

Ong is currently ranked No. 2 in the 100 meter Butterfly,

Coach Ong is also a certified swimming coach. and bagging the Best Sportswoman title at the 2004 SUKMA Games.

For all of these, and for her significant contribution to the overall Malaysian swimming sport, Ong was awarded the Pingat Pekerti Terpilih title in 2006.

In 2025, she was invited by UNESCO to participate in a global consultation on developing policy standards for inclusive, equitable, and safe sport. She was the first and only Malaysian selected to join a focus group of international athletes and experts contributing to the framework.

Education Ong was awarded the Drury Academic Honor Scholarship and obtained a Bachelor of Arts (Hons) in Psychology & Sociology from Drury University, Missouri, United States.

Personal life Ong was married to an Asian American. The couple divorced in 2023 following proceedings that began in 2020, which included custody arrangements for their children.

Sexual Assault

In May 2021, Ong came forward on how she had encountered sexual harassment and assault over the years, including from a national coach when she was a teenager. After this was shared, then the former Youth and Sports Minister, Datuk Seri Reezal Merican Naina Merican ordered his officers and the National Sports Council (NSC) to contact and assist Ong and help lodge a police report about the acts committed on Ong. Ong decided not to pursue a case against the coach or publicly name him as she believed too much time has passed. Ong is now an advocate for anti sexual harassment and wishes to be a catalyst of change for others.

Searching a missing plane

Ong's grandfather was reported to be one of the first Malaysians to own a private airplane. However, the current status and the condition of the airplane are unknown. Ong is now actively searching for the plane's current whereabouts.

Prominent awards and rankings

Malaysian Amateur Swimming achievements

6 gold medals, 5 national records Awarded the Most Outstanding Female Athlete Award.

Collegiate achievements in the United States