Interview

1. What made you join the Arts pageant?
A good friend of mine who was in the organising committee asked me in a way that I couldnt say no to. Haha, and besides, I thought I should try something new and that it would be fun.

2. Any secret tips to winning Mr Arts?
Nope. Just be yourself!


3. What is the best thing that came out of your win as Mr. Arts?
I wouldnt say that there was a best thing that came from winning it, but the people I got to meet and the friends I made were definitely the highlight of the experience.

4. I’m sure you get loads of attention from the ladies. What do you look for in a girl?
I get attention!? I did get asked before whether I'm a breast or ass kind of guy. To be really honest, I like to look at someone's eyes. Seriously! They're usually the first thing you see about a person, and I think that it really makes such an impression. And at the risk of sounding cliche, she got to be smart (not strictly the academic sense), and confident. Of course, a pretty face doesnt hurt!


5. What is your height and weight?
179cm and 67kg


6. What is your exercise and diet regime in maintaining your physique?
I don't train to maintain my physique. Rather, I train to improve my athletic performance and feel good. Whatever physique there is is just a bonus.

7. Is there anything in particular you eat to keep fit?
I generally eat more whole foods in my diet, which means food that is unprocessed. I find that food can taste really good without all the added chemicals and stuff. I actually like vegetables and fruits alot, so I have no qualms about going vegetarian if necessary, though I do enjoy meat.

8. What food do you stay away from?
Fried food. I really cannot stand dunking so much oil into my system. I felt queasy the last time I tried.


9. What is your favourite food?
Thats a really hard one, cause there are foods that I almost HAVE to eat everyday... But if I really have to name one, Peanut butter on wholemeal bread definitely up there.


10. Are there any favourite foods that you’ve had to give up for the sake of sports?
McDonald's fries. A rare treat nowadays

11. What is the “not-so-naked chef” about? Is there a reason to why to document everything you eat?
It was actually a blog I started for my Sociology of Food module back in Year 2. We had to do a food journal, so I figured that a blog would be easy to upkeep.

12. Cycling, running or swimming? Why?
Another tough one. I like the freedom I get in the water when swimming. Running is really enjoyable when I am just moving along by myself and just feeling the adrenaline of the moment. On the bike I enjoy the speed and company, as well as being the best mode of travelling and exploring places you don't usually get to see. Can't decide!


13. You are very involved in sports. From your blog, I see that you’ve taken part in the Iron Man, and other triathlons. What other sporting events have you taken part in before?
I did table tennis in Pri sch, Air rifle in Sec sch, and was in soccer in JC

14. How many medals have you won (starting from Primary school)?
Too many to count.

15. What is the most severe physical injury you’ve suffered that was sport related?
Shin splints. I'm still recovering from it now.

16. What has been your biggest obstacle (emotional or physical), and why? How did you overcome it?
I got shin splints in October 2009, just as I was aiming for the stan chart marathon. As a result I had to skip the race, and take time off from running. During that time I lost all my running speed and was unable to perform the my best for the 2010 IVP season. Alot of "what if's" entered my mind, but I don't like to look back and mope on "what-could-have-been's"

17. What is the longest distance u have cycled, ran, and swam?
My longest swim was 10km, longest bike 197km, and longest run 42.2km. (All on separate ocasions)

18. How do you balance your busy university schedule with your trainings?
I usually put in half to an hour of training in the morning, then depending on my schedule for the sem I usually have classes around the late morning to afternoon period, before heading to another training session at 6.

19. What is a typical week of your training schedule like?
Swims on monday and wednesday, bike and run on tues and thurs, light training or just complete rest on friday. Saturday will be transition training (swim-run) of some sort and a long bike ride on sundays.

20. We have all experienced the urge while running or cycling to stop for a break. What do you tell yourself mentally to keep yourself going?
I think it all depends on motivation and passion. I have a goal that I want to achieve, and I am willing to put myself through the training to achieve it. And if I don't love what I am doing, then there is no point in doing it. Of course, there are some days when I can feel my body is really fatigued and I'll just take the day off to rest.

21. What is the biggest sacrifice you have had to make for the sake of this hobby/love for sports? Time with friends. Its inevitable, since I got to juggle my studies as well. Its a matter of prioritization, and I know what I really want so I will go do what I have and make some sacrifices.

22. Do you have a special personal routine you go through before your endurance events?
I tend to have the same foods before a race, and get a deep tissue massage two days before.

23. Seeing that you’ve already taken part in the Iron Man, which is among the most physically challenging event around, do you foresee the challenge/motivation dimming in time to come? What other events do you intend to take part in the future?
Before the Ironman, I thought that I would need to take a long break to recover physically and mentally from the race. However, after the race I found myself even more in love with this sport (if that was possible), so as soon as I felt physically able, I was back in training (about 1 week after the race). However, if one day I do lose love for this sport (touch wood!), that is when I will stop doing it. Up next on my schedule is the Ironman 70.3 (meaning half ironman) World Championships in Clearwater Florida.

24. Do you have an ultimate goal in mind regarding this hobby?
Representing Singapore, and going to race in the Ironman World Championships in Hawaii would be the ultimate

25. Besides endurance events, I understand you like hamsters and cooking too. Could you tell me a little more about these interests? Do you have any other hobbies?
Generally I like animals, especially cute furry ones. My mum's a great cook, and I suppose I got some of those genes from her. I like making my own meals cause I know what I am putting in it, and I get to experiement with different foods and styles of cooking. And nothing beats enjoying a cooked meal after putting in the effort and thought into making it. Besides, cooking tends to be cheaper than eating out.

26. What values from endurance events can you take away and apply to your life?
Nothing is really unachievable as long as you believe enough in yourself and put in the effort to make it work. Still trying to apply this to my studies though.


27. If you were to leave the readers with a quote, what would it be?
In today's society, so many people like to pigeon hole things and say"Don't do that, it's too hard" If you want to do something that you are passionate about, then chase it, because it is with only passion that you will succeed. - Chris "Macca" McCormack.


28. "When I stand before God at the end of my life, I would hope that I would not have a single bit of talent left, and could say, 'I used everything You gave me.' " - Erma Bombeck



This quote was listed as one of your favourites. Why? How does it apply to you?
I believe that God gave me a gift in my love for this sport, and I believe that I can use this sport as a platform to reach out to people.


29. Which is more challenging? Final Exam week or running the last lap at a triathlon?
Definitely Exam week. Why? Because I love doing one and I don't love another.


30. Where do you see yourself in the next 20 years?
Still on this Earth I hope. and married.


31. In your blog, you stated that the comment “for his age, he’s quite slow” by your coach’s friend caused you to give up swimming for the next couple of years. Would I be right to infer that discouragements have a very strong impact on you? Are there any other circumstances where discouragement had a similar impact on your decisions?
I think I had quite a low self-esteem when I was a kid, and I was always trying to find out what I was good at. So at that point of time, to hear something like that just made me feel like not swimming for a while (4 years!)

32. What is your source of motivation?
It varies, whether it be winning, or contributing to the NUS Aquathlon team's win, or trying to prove some people wrong, or simply just wanting to fulfil my God-given potential =)


33. Who is your greatest inspiration/support?
Chris "Macca" McCormack. An Australian triathlete who has won countless triathlons at various distances.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chris_McCormack_(triathlete)
http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=663116252#!/MaccaLive?ref=ts


34. What is the greatest sense of achievement you’ve ever experienced (does not necessarily have to relate to sports)?
Finishing the Ironman, definitely. To have invested and sacrificed so much for a one-day event to swim 3.8km, bike 185km and run 42.2km and to complete it in the time that I did, is something that ranks up there.

35. Does it make a difference to you if you are defeated by a female (as opposed to a male) at sports?
Nope, cause it simply means that she is better than me. And I'll be driven to improve to try and not get defeated again, whether it is a male of female.