Going For GoldWe catch up with our national athletes on their sporting careers, and

find out what they would like to achieve in their upcoming competitions.By Dewey Sim Photography Ivanho Harlim & Shysilia Novita Styling Titien Wang

TIMOTHEE YAPAthleticsHe dabbled carelessly in the field of athletics some 12 years ago as one of the slowest runners among his peers, but you won’t believe Timothee Yap’s primary reason for doing so. The national sprinter joined his school’s track and field team to prove his worth because the girl of his dreams was on it. This August, the 21-year-old will be representing Singapore in the men’s 100m race at the Rio Olympics.

Cheesy backstory aside, Yap explains, “I like things fast. I have an affinity for speed.” Sounds like an invitation to a brilliant “that’s what she said” moment, but speed is one of the many reasons why he grew to love the sport, and explains his interest in powerful cars and fast-paced music.

Having competed since a young age, it’s not much of a surprise that Yap has now battled his way to the grand stage of the Olympic Games. “It’s a huge honour and privilege,” he says, feeling blessed to be given the opportunity to compete at a world-class arena alongside the best athletes.

Looking forward to the competition, Yap sees the Olympics as a chance to learn and better himself. “I’m looking forward to soaking up the experience. I’ll do my best to achieve a new personal record. Hopefully I can learn from the world’s greatest and perform at the next Southeast Asian [SEA] Games in 2017.”

As for his pre-race rituals, he often reminds himself to keep calm before the start of every race. “I listen to some pump-up music and hydrate myself to make sure I feel light and good. I need to feel the strength and power surging in me before I’m ready to go.”

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LEONARD ONGWindsurfingUnlike Yap, it wasn’t puppy love that brought Team Singapore windsurfer Leonard Ong to his sport. Instead, what started him on his Olympic journey was his adventurous spirit and a wish to take the road less travelled. At the age of nine, Ong took up sailing initially as part of his school’s mandatory co-curricular activity, deciding to try something new after deliberating between popular options like badminton and table tennis. “I used to see windsurfers surfing past us at fast speeds, and thought that was really cool. It’s like driving a Toyota or Nissan Sunny and seeing a Ferrari zoom past – I wanted to drive that too!”

Ong might look all brawny and well built now, but he started with a fear of the open seas. The 21-year-old recounts the perils of the environment: “The waves in Australia are huge, and can reach as high as the ceiling! To make matters worse, there were two shark incidents during my training in Perth – a shark was spotted cruising the waters during one of my training days, and a lady swimming about 200m in the open sea was apparently bitten by a shark in the butt!” Nevertheless, his father was supportive from the start and would always encourage him. His mother, on the other hand, was understandably worried. “She thought I was too young to be going out to sea. When I did the beginner’s course for sailing, she’d always be there to keep a lookout, but watching me learn and grow slowly assured her of my safety.”

Despite his fears, it has been smooth sailing for Ong as his passion for windsurfing earned him multiple podium finishes and medals of glory. “The uniqueness was what first attracted me to the sport. Once you get into it, you realise there’s no other feeling like being out at sea, so close to nature. Windsurfing provides an adrenaline rush; once the wind blows, you’re travelling at high speeds and it can get out of control sometimes. Even so, you keep moving and try to stay afloat. That’s what I enjoy most – hovering between the verge between falling and keeping upright.”

On earning his spot in the Rio Olympics, Ong is thankful for the support from his parents, coach, and friends, all of whom kept him going. “To be honest, I didn’t think too much about it when I f irst learnt of the news. This has been a dream since young and it’s something I’ve been working towards for a long time. Coincidently, the day I earned my spot at the Rio Olympics was my mom’s birthday, and I thought it was the best birthday present I could’ve given to her.”

For Ong, winning at the Rio Olympics is more than just fulfilling a lifelong dream. “It’s not just about being able to win medals for yourself, but also giving back to the ones who’ve helped you. To win a medal, you need a whole village to bring you to where you are. It’s your family, friends, and sparring partners who spur you on when you’re at your lowest. They’re your best coaches, and winning is partly about appreciating people who’ve helped you along the way.”

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CHEN FENGTable TennisAlso donning the Singapore colours at Rio is Team Singapore paddler Chen Feng. Table tennis has long been a beloved sport of the nation, with locals crowding in front of TV sets to watch our paddlers compete with poise and confidence, ultimately emerging victorious at regional and international competitions.

There’s no doubt that Chen has earned his well-deserved place in the Rio Olympics given his rich experience in the field. Besides winning the singles event at the Commonwealth Table Tennis Championships last year, he has been playing the sport since he was six. “It’s surprising, actually. I remember accompanying my father to the gym and playing table tennis at the side while he worked out. Luckily for me, my coach saw my potential and asked if I would be interested to train under him.”

To the China-born athlete, table tennis is not just a way to exercise and keep fit. “The sport has taught me many lessons and one of them is learning about my own self-worth. I believe that you reap what you sow. All the accomplishments and medals that I’ve won are the product of my tireless effort and hard work. Every win is painstakingly earned, and that makes me extremely happy, seeing my training pay off in competitions.”

Making it to the world-class arena came very much as a surprise, and he’s taking one match at a time to the best of his abilities. “The Olympics is a stage where the world’s strongest athletes gather, and it’s every sportsman’s dream to be able to compete at such a level.” He has been watching his favourite athletes like Kong Ling Hui (now head coach of China’s women’s table tennis team) compete on television since young, and now it’s finally his chance to participate.

Looking forward to the Rio Olympics, Chen has been preparing himself mentally by seeking advice from his coach and fellow teammate Gao Ning, who has competed in the previous Olympic Games. Chen is determined to focus on the competition and keep the goal he has set for himself in mind. “In essence, it’s all about hard work and perseverance. An athlete may have talent for the sport, but it’s useless if he doesn’t practise and invest time and effort. It boils down to hard work that the athlete chooses to put in, which translates to results in competitions.”

OOI YEE JIA, ISAAC CHAN, ADRIEL NG, LEE CHENG KANG,ANG AN JUN, YIP YANGWater PoloThe men’s water polo team is no doubt our nation’s pride and glory. We’ve seen how it dominated the waters in regional competitions; bringing back one gold medal after another, with its most recent win at the 28th SEA Games. While some of our athletes got themselves ready for the Rio Olympics, our water polo boys are gearing up for the 10th Asian Swimming Championships, which will be held in Tokyo in November.

Besides the bounty of medals, the team sport has definitely taught the guys some golden rules they’ll stand by in life. In unison, they agreed that water polo has instilled in them a sense of discipline. We don’t doubt that, seeing how most of them are still schooling in their respective universities, which means they have to strive doubly hard to bring their “A” game to the pool and in school.

To Ang An Jun, striking a good balance between work and play is one of the greatest challenges that he has to face. “Training takes up quite

a big chunk of our available time, so we’ve to be disciplined in order to keep up with the demands of school.”

Having only scant time for themselves and their family and friends, Lee Cheng Kang mentions that trainings can peak at six times a week, kicking off with land circuits, followed by swimming laps and tactical drills. It all seems so daunting, the thought of the training and tireless efforts that they’ve invested.

On top of discipline, the sport has given Isaac Chan more than he expected. “Water polo has taught me values like sportsmanship and determination. Besides that, my teammates have become good friends out of the pool. There are also opportunities for us to travel, both for training and competitions.”

Given their tenacity, we’re sure the team will be armed to battle for the gold in the upcoming championships. When we posed the question of what qualities make a good water polo player, we expected answers like strength and speed, but the boys told us that passion and a determination to win, in the end, is what really matters most.

Photography assistant Marie

Liang Styling assistant Vincent

Loh Hair & Grooming Aaron

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