Enchong Dee’s swim to the top

At 17, he has the makings of a lady killer: boyish good looks, that charming smile, eyes sparkling with joie de vivre, a swimmer’s lean and chiseled body, and the brains to match. But Enchong Dee is such a nice guy, well-bred and polite, and just so sincere, you know he’ll never deliberately turn the charm on some unsuspecting girl just for the fun of it. In fact, before he and his first girlfriend got together, he even got permission from her mom first!

Underneath Enchong’s admittedly very appealing exterior, however, is a very determined, disciplined young man focused on his goals. Goals which, at the moment, include winning the swimming competitions at the upcoming Beijing Olympics. And he’s well on his way to achieving his dream. He has countless medals, mostly gold, from the various competitions, including the Palarong Pambansa and the SEA Games. His record-breaking time for the notoriously difficult butterfly stroke is second only to swim champ Eric Buhain’s.

As a member of the Philippine Swim Team, Enchong’s workday starts as early as 5 a.m., when he hits the pool for training. Then it’s on to classes at De La Salle University, where he’s taking up Sports Management. After class, it’s back to the pool for more training, and he finally gets home at about 9 p.m.

For someone so young, Enchong displays a remarkable level of maturity and a strong work ethic. His values are obvious in his answer to the fill-in-the-blank question, "All I need is…" With no hesitation, he writes, "God and my family."

His focus, drive and values may make Enchong seem like some goody-two-shoes. On the contrary, he’s still a kid who knows how to have fun. He likes hanging out with friends, and admits to getting rowdy – all in the boy-next-door-having-fun way, of course. He plays badminton with his family, and yes, he does go out on dates.

As to his fashion sense, Enchong is a typical teenage boy: he’ll wear whatever’s in the closet, whatever’s comfortable. With his pool-school-pool schedule, that means mostly T-shirts, shorts and jeans for him.

All suited up in his Bench, Human and Celio outfits, he was just like a kid playing dress-up. That’s why top model Rissa Samson styled him with the playful duckie, pencils and ice cream cones. "He’s just one big kid, when you get to know him," says Rissa. "And I guess I wanted to show that even dressed and looking all grown-up, Enchong never loses his boyish charm."

My name is Ernest Lorenzo Dee.

But I’d rather be called Enchong.

I may seem quiet.

But I’m really noisy with my friends.

When I look in the mirror I see a future Olympic champion with many endorsements.

In the morning I thank God for another day.

I like to sleep right after I had my last bite.

My hero is Dad.

My father always taught me to be humble... a low-profile person.

My mother always taught me to brush my teeth and acknowledge each other’s good deeds.

The first thing I look at in a person is his/her feet.

One thing I wish I had is the attitude of being on time always!

One thing I have that I wish I didn’t is kakulitan.

All I need is God and my family.

I love the sound of "Congratulations" and "Thank you!"

Everybody should fear God.

My longest ride was 14 hours going to India.

Before leaving the house I always make sure I have my school ID with me.

Before going to sleep I always make sure I take a bath.

I will never answer my parents drastically.

I can never say never!

I always say "Thank you, po!" and "Mauna po ako!"

What the world needs now are peace and cooperation.

The last thing the world needs now is usage of money.

I will never eat cockroach!

Right now, I want to be in a billboard.

I wish I could forget my most embarrassing moment.

I wish I could remember when I was born.

I always lose my ballpoint pen or books.

I wish I could talk to animals and trees.