Michelle Lishuyi Ma has been playing table tennis since the age of 6. An 8th grade student at Linden Hall, Michelle’s home is in Daquing, China, where she began studies at the Beijing Schichahai Sports school, one of the best sports schools in China. Table tennis was a part of her daily curriculum. Through her work there, Michelle was able to join the Bejing table tennis team at age 9.
 
Ma made the decision at a young age to study in the US and learn English and American culture and history but didn’t dream of giving up her competitive status in table tennis. She travels to NYC each weekend and trains at the Wang Chen Table Tennis Club (http://www.wangchenttc.com/), alongside the club’s namesake, Wang Chen, who represented the United States in table tennis at the 2008 Olympics. 
 
Ma is on the Junior table tennis team and recently competed at the North-American Table Tennis Tournament (http://www.natabletennis.com/) in Baltimore. Ma’s junior team took second in a competition that is ranked the largest in the world. Michelle played 20 matches and won 17! Says Ma’s Linden Hall advisor, Claudia Prosack, who attended the competition, “Coaches and trainers from other teams commented on how talented Michelle is and how skillfully she plays. They all say that she will make it to the Chinese Nationals and on to the Olympics!”