US Team Handball Women's National Team

Basic Facts

DOB: 12/1/791
Place of Birth: Taipei, Taiwan
Hometown: Virginia Beach, VA
Height: 5’7”
Position: Left Wing
Started playing: 1998
High School: Frank W. Cox
College: USMA at West Point
Major: Economics

Sunny Chen is a captain in the United States Army. Born in Taipei, Taiwan, Sunny moved to the United States when she was 6 years old. Within a year of moving to the states, she moved to Virginia Beach, VA, her new hometown. In high school, Sunny played basketball, volleyball, and ran track. The volleyball team won its first state title her junior year. She discovered the game of team handball the fall of 1998, her freshman year at West Point. “I was on my way to see what clubs I could join for the year when an upperclassman stopped me and ordered me to sign up for Team Handball.” Like any good plebe (freshman), Chen said “Yes, Ma’am” and the rest was history.

The West Point team won the college national championship all 4 years Sunny was there. After graduation, Chen began her Army career participating in the Women’s National Team residency program at Lake Placid, NY in 2002. She competed in the 2003 Pan American Championships and Pan American Games, coming in 4th in both events. The team also competed in the Puerto Rico Olympic Festival, winning the 1st place trophy in that event. “I love team handball with all its challenges and complexities. It’s the perfect medium for all the skills acquired in other sports.” In the fall of 2003, after the Pan American Games, Sunny went to her second assignment in Germany. During the 3 years she was away from Team Handball, Chen became a veteran in the war against terrorism. She served as a Military Intelligence officer deployed to Iraq and Afghanistan with a detour to help in the humanitarian effort in Pakistan immediately after the devastating October 2005 earthquake. “The deployments were a real eye opener. A deployment can be pretty tough, but at the same time, it’s heartening to see the progress we were able to make in those countries.”

In May 2006, Sunny came back to the USA Women’s National Team Residency program, training full time in Cortland. “What I like best about the residency program is the unique opportunity to represent the United States in competitions other than the field of strife.” Sunny is one of 4 athletes sponsored by the Army World Class Athlete Program (WCAP). WCAP’s mindset that good soldiers make good athletes and good athletes make good soldiers is what makes this opportunity possible. With a group of highly athletic and talented women, Sunny hopes to make the 2008 Olympic team and represent the US in Beijing. “I’ve always been very competitive, no matter how trivial the game. Having this opportunity to compete at the highest level possible, representing at international competitions…what can I say? I have the best job ever!”