In July 2018, I went to Manila to participate in the Southeast Asian Age Group Swimming Championships with the Singapore team. It was, like last time, an honour to represent my country in an international competition, and I had a great week meeting new swimmers.
When it comes to swimming, I feel that my biggest struggles are mental – I doubt myself, I stress, and I feel unready. This time was different, because I had had a long taper and I was only swimming 1 event. I went into the competition prepared and confident, and I was very happy with the result. I know this is something I need to work on, because not all competitions can be approached with the amount of time I had for this one.
On the physical side, I also struggle, mostly with the level of commitment the sport requires. It’s very easy to give in and miss a training session when I’m tired, I have a lot of work or studying to do, or when I’d rather be with friends… but swimming doesn’t allow for that. Sometimes I fail, but for the most part, I push myself to take responsibility for my own success, which means training the sessions I’ve committed to, and always giving my best effort.
Although I felt my race was successful at SEAAG, there was something missing – the feeling of team. Our school team creates one of the most supportive and motivational environments I’ve ever been in, which is why I feel I perform much better at big team meets like SEASAC. There’s something about being surrounded by the people you train with, hearing their cheers and wanting to swim well for the team. Even though swimming is a largely individual sport, team and collaboration play a huge part in how I perform. SEASAC this year will be in Bangkok, and I am very excited to see how it goes!
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