For me, becoming an athlete was almost accidental.
My primary school didn’t have a school track team. Instead they opted to send decently athletic individuals to compete in National Schools’ Track and Field competitions without prior training. As chance would have it, my PE teacher volunteered me to be one of those unfortunate individuals. Having trained a grand total of 5 times by myself, a very prepared 11-year-old me turned up to the competition venue in nothing but my track shoes and PE attire. Surprisingly, I only just missed out on a spot in the finals by a fraction of a second. This shocked me, my parents, and my teacher who then promptly encouraged me to seek proper external training. Encouraged by this minor triumph with negligible preparation, my parents and I approached the group of athletes clad in royal blue, training tirelessly at CCAB, and thus began my journey with Coach Fabian.
Starting out, I had no idea what to expect or what I was getting myself into. Training with athletes who were older, faster, and more experienced than I was, was quite a daunting task. However, even at that young age, Coach Fabian looked out for me and took the time to explain the importance of different drills and exercises we were doing. His meticulous attention to detail helped him pick out the flaws and inefficiencies in my running and helped me to build a strong foundation on which to build my athletic future. His charismatic demeanour made training fun even for a 12 year old like myself despite the rigorous workouts. And by the next National Schools Games, I had a bronze and gold medal under my belt together with a 200m record under my name.
Over the next few years, Coach Fabian saw potential in me that I never realised I had and constantly pushed me to greater heights. My sporting career skyrocketed and I had the privilege of competing for Singapore overseas. Yet despite these successes and accolades, the greatest impact Coach Fabian had on me were the life values imparted in day-to-day training. He taught me to be self-assured in my own abilities and not stress over my competition. He taught me that success was almost impossible without a healthy dose of hard work and persistence. He taught me to constantly work towards being a better version of myself. The list goes on, but one thing I know for certain; training with Coach Fabian for the past 8 years has undoubtedly shaped me into the person I am today.
My journey with Coach Fabian might have begun accidentally, but he went from being just a coach, to being a great mentor, friend, and confidant. He has had a huge impact on my life, and I admire the way he goes on to touch the lives of all his athletes through his dedication to the sport and passion for coaching.
800m GOLD MEDALIST - 2019 B Division National School Games Track & Field Championships
400m GOLD MEDALIST - 2019 B Division National School Games Track & Field Championships
4 x 400m 4TH PLACE - 11th ASEAN School Games
400m SILVER MEDALIST - 44th Singapore U18 & U20 Athletics Championships 2018
800m SILVER MEDALIST - 2018 B Division National School Games Track & Field Championships
400m GOLD MEDALIST - 2018 B Division National School Games Track & Field Championships
200m 5TH PLACE - LAWA Little Athletics Western Australia
400m 5TH PLACE - LAWA Little Athletics Western Australia
4 x 400m 4TH PLACE - 10th ASEAN School Games
400m FINALIST - 10th ASEAN School Games
Singapore Schools Sports Council Colours Award (Track and Field)
400m GOLD MEDALIST - Singapore U18 & U20 Athletics Championships U-14
200m GOLD MEDALIST - Singapore U18 & U20 Athletics Championships U-14
400m GOLD MEDALIST - 2017 C Division National School Games Track & Field Championships
200m GOLD MEDALIST - 2017 C Division National School Games Track & Field Championships
400m SILVER MEDALIST - 25th MSSM-LAWA-SSSC International Athletics Championships U14
4 x 400m GOLD MEDALIST - 25th MSSM-LAWA-SSSC International Athletics Championships U14
4 x 100m GOLD MEDALIST - 25th MSSM-LAWA-SSSC International Athletics Championships U14
