By Leong Wee Loong
Becoming an athlete requires hard work as athletes represent their schools or provinces in competitions. But more than hard work is needed to become a national-level athlete. In that case, you need a professional coach, sound equipment, professional venues, long-term training to withstand physical load, and daily continuous training.
Such heavy training is not something ordinary people can bear, so becoming a national-level athlete is one in a million. Personal strength must not only be muscular, but the results must also be impressive so that you can represent the country in world-class competitions. Among the sports events are track and field, ball games, e-sports, etc.
I was very fortunate to interview one of my former high school classmates. She started her sports career in secondary school and represented Malaysia in world-class competitions.
Her name is Grace Wong Xiu Mei. She participated in track and field events, mainly shot put, discus, and hammer throw. Her sister influenced her since she was a child as she was an outstanding athlete. She began training at a very young age until she started her sports career at 13, and represented her school in various competitions.
“As a track and field athlete, you must first have a good body to withstand heavy training because you are about to represent the country in a competition, so training is necessary. During training, there are often injuries that lead to the inability to compete during the competition. I lost a game due to normal performance, but there will be winners and losers, so this matter is unimportant. The most important thing in my eyes is that I have tried my best, and I have done my best. It brings out my best state,” Grace said, adding that she encountered many setbacks, but she was able to resolve them one by one.
During competition, Grace said she would be a little nervous. However, at the end of the day, she was satisfied with her results in the contest and fortunate to be able to overcome her nervousness.
“But the more times I participate in competitions, the less nervous I feel because I gradually get used to the feeling of this kind of competition, which makes me excited and allows me to perform better.”
When asked which game stage impressed her the most, she said: “I have stood on countless game stages, and the one that impressed me most was probably Sukan SEA, also known as SEA Games. I broke the new record at the time, 61.87m. I was so excited because I represented Malaysia and brought glory to the country.”
Grace has broken numerous records during her athletic career. She also listed the places where she has played at this year — 19th Asian Games HOC Stadium Hangzhou, FISU World University Games, Shuang Liu Sports Centre Chengdu, Asian Athletics Championships Supachalasai National Stadium Bangkok, Southeast Asian Games Morodok Techo National Stadium Phnom Penh, and Southwest China Regional Invitation Meeting Sichuan Xipu Training Base Chengdu.
“In the future, I think I will continue to win for the country, and I will continue to participate in various competitions because it is a matter of pride to win for the country. I also hope to represent the country in the Olympic Games because I have a goal, and I am willing to continue to train hard for my goal.”
Grace also said that the difficulties and troubles encountered are harrowing because it will affect you throughout your life. For example, if you accidentally get injured during training or competition, this will be very troublesome because it will take a long time to recover. If it is severe, it will directly affect your sports career and make you unable to recover. Being able to participate in the competition, track and field takes work.
“Success is not accidental; if you want to succeed, you must put in the hard work and perseverance to achieve your goals. Whatever your profession, hard work will always lead to good results. If you don’t work hard, there will be no good results. I will one day achieve my goals as I am still persevering today. After all, my current career in track and field is tough. Of course, my persistence is indispensable for the encouragement and support of my family. With these motivations, I can persist, and I will continue to work hard in the future,” she said.
- This article was written by a student from the Strategic Communication Programme at the Faculty of Education, Language and Communication, UNIMAS.
