Timothy Wang

From underdog to national champion

Long before I joined Deloitte, I was a table tennis player. When I started my journey in table tennis, I was doubted and told I’d never make it. Instead of letting that get me down, I used it as motivation to become the underdog. And this underdog became an U.S. Olympian and former Table Tennis National Champion.

Before I could walk, there was a racket in my hand. Some may say it was fate that I was going to play table tennis professionally. Learning the sport over 14 years allowed me to hone my skills over time. My experience in table tennis brought me to Deloitte, when a Deloitte leader who I was teaching the sport told me about a position I might be a fit for. Fast forward to today and it’s been six fulfilling years as a Deloitte professional. One of my roles has included working as a part of the International Olympic Committee (IOC) client team. Working with the IOC at Deloitte gives me the opportunity to discuss my passion for sports every day at work, while helping to shape the way the Olympic Games can operate.

Underdogs are often overlooked. I was told to get my head out of the clouds throughout my life. In both my professional and athletic career, I used any doubt to fuel me and my success. That same drive I used to grow into an Olympian is what helps fuel me at Deloitte today. This is a place where I have so many opportunities, and I’ve been willing to take chances, try new things and learn from those around me. It’s a place I feel I have been rewarded for that hard work.

Victory is Served

Being a table tennis athlete is something that’s easy for me to keep under the radar, until you put a ping pong table in front of me. While the rules of each are slightly different, it’s a game I rarely lose – even when playing with the non-dominant hand.

One day, I was working with a client who had a ping pong table in their office. Someone had left a joking list of who to contact to “get beat” at the table, so when I saw one of them next, I asked if they wanted to play. This person had no idea I was an Olympian or former national champion, so instead playing with dominant right hand, I decided to use my left and still won the game

After explaining my background and shocking them all a little, I switched to my right hand and showed off some fun spins, throwing the ball up the wall. Even after proving I could compete, and win, at the highest levels, it’s still fun for me to play the underdog.