by Wade Townsend

At the beginning of November, Vice Sports started the the 16 Project. The project aims to introduce the world to sixteen athletes, all aged sixteen, by bringing their unique stories to life.

Recently USA’s Kanak Jha was featured.

In 2016, Jha was the youngest member of Team USA at the Rio Olympic Games. To further his dreams of being an elite table tennis athlete, Jha recently moved to Grenzau, Germany. Balancing life between sport, school and a social life as a teenager can be a tall order, but Jha hopes the move will help him focus on his goals.

The late teenage years are a transformative period for athletes. It’s a time in their life where extra effort and dedication can go a long way to carving out the path to being an elite athlete.

Check out Kanak Jha’s story and see how he is forging his way in table tennis.