The Silverfox Hustle Podcast

Silverfox Hustle #100 - Thiruben -1:49.94 - A National Record Story

• Shasi • Episode 100

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I mark the pod’s 100th by sitting down with Thiruben, Singapore’s 800m national record holder, to trace a path from the football fields and gifted program classrooms to a time of 1:49.94 in perfect cool conditions in Korea. 

The episode offers a rare, unvarnished look at how talent, culture and systems intersect. He grew up steeped in sport through his father, flirted seriously with football and only found running because his school lacked a football CCA. Early success in 1500m and cross country sparked ambition, but what truly shaped him was curiosity. 

Thiruben shares candid insights on mindset, recovery and why belief is the first training plan worth mastering. He shares about the injury that broke his season, the A-Levels crash and therapy. 

Beyond the track, Thiruben helped grow Singapore Athletics’ reach, turning 4,000 Instagram followers into over 13,000 and quadrupling sponsors. He believes fans back people, not just times, so he wrote record features that humanised athletes and widened the sport’s circle. The same logic underpins his decision to go pro: performance follows focus. If Singapore wants more Asian finalists and Olympians, athletes need real pathways and sustainable income, not token stipends. 

His choice to go pro isn’t a gamble; it’s calculated urgency. At 26, windows close fast. 

If you care about Singapore sport, talent pipelines or simply want to know what courage sounds and looks like - this episode is for you! 

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 #silverfox 
 #podcast 
 #podcasting 
 #podcaster 
 #storytellers 
 #getinspired 
 #inspirationalstories 
 #workethics 
 #gratitude 
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 #thehivestudios

#thiruben

Milestone Episode And Guest Intro

SPEAKER_02

Hello, we are back on the Silver Fox Tustle podcast. I'm your host, Shasti, and uh the creator and uh host of the show. And I've got to say this today is a very special episode because this is uh number 100. And uh I know I've actually published more than a hundred, but uh those were including the football talk episodes, which uh I'm a football person, so there we go. We we spoke about uh football and uh everything else about football. But when I started out this uh podcast, it was uh about highlighting my guests and uh their struggles, their success, uh, in a bit to inspire uh my listeners and people who watch this on the show. So this is actually the uh officially the number uh 100 of the episode. So I'm very proud. Thank you so much for supporting uh friends, family, for sharing this episode as well, or episodes as well, and also and also uh click on that follow button if you have not done so. And uh I've got to say I'm proud of it as well because as uh I have to say this, it's been a one-man operation. So uh very proud of the fact as well. But uh yeah, so thank you for the support. Now, it's the 100th episode, so we've got a very special guest in the house. Now uh he is a multiple C games competitor. He competed in two Asian championships, he competed in the Asian Games in 2023. This is gonna be a mouthful, by the way. Uh, he competed in Commonwealth Games in 2022, he won the silver and bronze medal in the 4x400 meter relay in 2022 and 2025 Sea Games. He holds the national under 18 record in the 400 meters, and and he is the national record holder in the 800 meters, breaking a 38-year-old record. That's how long it has been. Welcome to the show, Tirubin.

SPEAKER_03

Thanks for having me, and um it's an honor to be your 100th episode as well. So, yeah.

SPEAKER_02

Thanks for coming in as well, uh, Tiruban. Now uh, you are now a pro athlete. You've gone full-time. We'll talk a little bit more about that later on. But how has the week been and how has the day been for you?

SPEAKER_03

Uh today was a fairly standard day for me. Yeah.

SPEAKER_02

Uh what's standard?

SPEAKER_03

Sandra will be training twice a day, most days. So I had an easy run in the morning. Yeah. And then had my chance to rest a bit, have a bit of lunch. And then I came over here to speak to you. Right. And after this, I'll be heading to stadium. So I'll be doing a gym session and maybe probably a gym session.

SPEAKER_02

Sorry for taking up a little bit of your rest time. Uh yeah. So, you know, uh we we want to talk about you and and what you've been doing. And I I think again we'll talk about that 800 meters uh record. I think it's been it's it's a wonderful record to hold, especially after we spoke about this, or I spoke about this just now, the 38-year-old record. Now let's talk about you uh growing up, what was your childhood like? Uh and and and family and and siblings like.

SPEAKER_03

Yeah, so I have three younger siblings. I'm the eldest of four siblings. Okay. And I had a very happy childhood. Right. Um my I was there was a five-year gap between me and my next sibling.

SPEAKER_00

Okay.

SPEAKER_03

So I guess for the first five years, you know, I was very I had full attention of my parents. And uh, I was a very energetic kid.

SPEAKER_00

Okay.

SPEAKER_03

Super hyperactive, you know, always running around, playing football, because I watched my dad play football, watched my dad go for runs. Right. And uh just constantly asking questions all the time. I think I was very and I still am, okay, someone that always likes to I don't like to do things unless I like fully understand what I'm doing. And then so I think I just shot a lot of questions to my parents throughout my whole childhood. Okay. And they were very nurturing, and they always had time to answer my little questions here and there. Yeah.

SPEAKER_02

You you spoke about uh questioning people, right? In school, were you the ones who always I think so?

SPEAKER_03

I think in primary school, I think I was that kid, you know, like uh learning journeys, school. I always have to be the one asking questions, uh answering questions. Okay. So I was that kind of kid. Yeah.

SPEAKER_02

You you also say that your your your dad plays football and runs as well. So did did you or do you think that you got it from him, the genes of you know being sporty and stuff like that?

SPEAKER_03

Oh 100%. I think some of my earliest memories is at Queenstown Stadium. Um he used to bring me there, used to just kick the ball around with him. And he was very his to this day he's very active. Uh he always signs up for his company runs. Uh he did all the standard chartered, you know, running 5k, 10k. So I was always there by the side when he played futsal, everything. So really all my whole childhood was just really playing sports.

SPEAKER_02

Do you live around that that area, Queenstown?

SPEAKER_03

Yeah. Very close to Queenstown Stadium, actually.

SPEAKER_02

Is the stadium still there? It's it's a damn old stadium.

SPEAKER_03

Uh it's still there, but it's been under renovation for like years now. Okay, okay. Supposedly, it should have been already by now. I think hopefully it's in the next month or so.

SPEAKER_02

So it's gonna be like it's just uh uh renovated, but it's gonna be still a stadium right there.

SPEAKER_03

Still a stadium, but the no more track. Uh so from what I know, I think it's just gonna be uh I think it's gonna be focused on rugby. So it's just gonna be artificial turf. Okay, okay. A bit sad, but uh hopefully it's a good place for me to do my morning runs after this.

SPEAKER_00

Right, right, right.

SPEAKER_02

Um talk a little bit about your schools, the schools that you attended. Uh primary school was uh Yeah, so I had two primary schools.

SPEAKER_03

Um first was Queenstown Primary, really close to my place, and then after that I went to Henry Park Primary School.

SPEAKER_02

Yeah. Okay. And uh after that, right after that?

SPEAKER_03

So right after that, um I was in the National Junior College, so it's a six-year program. Okay. Didn't have to do O levels, straight to A levels. Yeah.

SPEAKER_02

You were in a gifted program, yeah?

SPEAKER_03

Yeah. So um got into that when I was before. So that's why there was a change in primary school.

SPEAKER_02

Ah, right, right, right, right. Okay. Now, now let's go back a little bit in terms of the CCAs that you did in school. Yeah. Right? What what what's uh obviously you're sporty, right? And you spoke about your dad being uh playing football and and running as well. Did you play?

SPEAKER_03

So actually, I think football was still will always be my first love. It was what I always wanted to do, actually, when I was growing up. Uh even from like four or five years old, I was training outside. And so primary school naturally, I joined football.

SPEAKER_00

Yeah.

SPEAKER_03

Um my first primary school, if you're not very good at football, um, I remember our formation, so it's a nine aside. Which is Queen Star primary school. It was nine aside. Uh the formation was six one one. Okay. And I was the one midfielder just ran around everywhere tackling people.

SPEAKER_02

Six one one? Yeah. So what does the the six men at the back do?

SPEAKER_03

We still consider, I think I've lost like 18-0 one game before.

SPEAKER_02

Even playing with six at the back. Yeah.

SPEAKER_03

So I was the one, I was a little cante la basically. Right, right, right. Just tackling everyone running around.

SPEAKER_02

That's interesting because I I think you you you can be a Kante because you are fit.

School Years, Gifted Programme And Football

SPEAKER_03

I I guess so. I guess so, yeah. Maybe that's how it started. Um yeah, typical, very typical Singaporean childhood, every recess playing football, after school playing football. When I went to Henry Park Primary School, we were a bit better, so I think we were doing well on the zonal, international, center level. And I was playing, um, became a right back of center.

SPEAKER_02

Do you know, do you remember? Uh was it a school teacher?

SPEAKER_03

Uh school teachers, but there were coaches. I can't say I remember anything.

SPEAKER_02

Right, right, right. Okay. So so tell me the truth. Were you good at at football?

SPEAKER_03

I would say I was a decent standard because I was in the junior sports academy.

SPEAKER_00

Okay.

SPEAKER_03

So I got through the selection trial, so in like primary five, primary six. And I think my batch, um, I watched them play on TV now. A lot of the, I think my batch people were like Jacob Martha, Ben Davis. Ah, okay. All these guys were in my training group. Okay. So I at that point in my when I was a kid, I always thought I was gonna be a national football player. Um yeah, and in fact, I remember that I was thinking, oh, should I go to sports school for football? Um, it was yeah. So I would say I had some decent talent. Right, right, right.

SPEAKER_02

So so obviously you did the six-year program, right? The gifted program, and and and so what was it about that? So so it's kind of like a natural progression for you in terms of, you know, it because that said, you you you must be, you know, very comfortable academically, right? It it you must be.

SPEAKER_03

I think it's just from the way I grew up, I was just always reading a lot of books. I was again very inquisitive. So in primary school, I did very well. Um primary three went for that test and then managed to get into the gifted program. So that meant a switch of schools. It was hard to adapt at first. I remember.

SPEAKER_02

Also, because you had to take that the gifted program test, and yeah, okay, the entry thing, right?

SPEAKER_03

Yeah, there's like I think there's two rounds of tests. So I got through that, so we switched schools. But I really, really enjoyed. So primary four to primary six, I was in that program. Really enjoyed it because um I don't know, it's just I'm I'm very geeky in terms of even football and things. So I had friends that were just as geeky as me. Right. And I really just enjoyed being in that uh environment where I really, I don't know, it got the most out of me.

SPEAKER_02

I just want to ask you this, right? Since you are, I I don't know, I it's just in me and and I'm just thinking off my head, right? With you being you know in the gifted program and you read a lot and you think, I I think you think a lot. Do you think that later on in life you could be a good coach?

SPEAKER_03

Oh, definitely. I mean, that's I don't know whether it would be my main profession, but I will definitely want to do some coaching. I've got my coaching cert from World Athletics. Uh when I'm done with my track career, I think I definitely, in some capacity, I'll coach. Yeah.

SPEAKER_02

I can see that already, man.

SPEAKER_03

I hope so, yeah.

SPEAKER_02

Brilliant. Okay, uh let's let's move on a little bit fast forward, right? How how did the love for uh running start? And obviously, you know, you you you like running and and playing football. There's there's an element of being or running in there as well. But uh the the love is there a love for because listen, it's not something that any anyone would love to do, you know, and especially now. Especially now, trust me, because I'm teaching, right? And I know. Uh let's go for a run with the kids. No way. Yeah. You know, it's it's all on the phone and you know, and and oh, it's it's very hot. You know, I I'm not gonna run. So how did this come come about? Obviously, there's your dad element, right? Yeah. How about the rest of it? When you are running, why do you like it?

SPEAKER_03

So how it started, I would say it just it didn't. I was definitely it was definitely still first a love of football. Right. And then when I went to my school, basically how it works in National Junior College is the first year you don't really join a CCA yet. You try out a few things. So I was still playing football outside of school. Right. So second year when you had to join a CCA, there's only a very few limited options for boys on what they could join. Okay. Um football was not. We didn't have a football CCA. So then there was this school um road run, which I just because I was trying to chase after one of my classmates, we weren't planning to run.

unknown

Okay.

SPEAKER_03

She just wanted to walk, but he started running, so I just tried to chase after him, and I ended up finishing like first for my out of all the 13-year-olds.

SPEAKER_00

Okay.

SPEAKER_03

So then I thought, okay, I need to join a CCA. Um my dad always saw him running. I used to do those little kids, kid runs. So okay, I'll try track and feel. So then the end of my secondary one year, joined track and feel. And then that love, I think, it just came naturally because You're winning. That definitely helps. I can't deny that I saw early success. Because within my first year and secondary two, I had quite immediate success, improved, kept improving. So of course that's like, wow, you know, I'm really achieving.

SPEAKER_00

Yeah.

SPEAKER_03

Um, because in football, I guess I really enjoyed it, but I didn't feel like I'm gonna be one of the best or anything, you know, in the environment where I was maybe training in, it didn't feel as like motivating to me. But when I got into my tracking field CCA, you know, I had a really good teacher in charge, and just the environment and just the joy of competing. I just really enjoyed racing, actually. Right. I found the new love. And then I think it just built every year from that.

SPEAKER_02

There's two things that I picked up from what you said, right? Number one, there was no uh football CCA, which probably worked for you because if not, you would have picked football. But the the question leading up to that is why isn't there football in the NJC?

SPEAKER_03

So because I think from uh Till till now. I'm not sure. Okay, so there was football in the JC side of things, because our school is split into two, right?

SPEAKER_01

Right, right.

SPEAKER_03

The junior high, so the first secondary one is sec four. Um, that it wasn't. But actually, I remember that me and my friends, because we're all so much into football, right? We actually talked to the teachers and say, like, can I get a C, can we get a CC? And I think they actually did because of what we did. Okay, okay. They actually started it, but I didn't join in the end because I was already in track and field.

SPEAKER_02

So it's still, it's still, I mean, I mean it's there now.

SPEAKER_03

I hope so. Yeah.

SPEAKER_02

Well done, Tiruban.

SPEAKER_03

Yeah, I hope so.

SPEAKER_02

I like you already, man. I mean, there should there should be football, man.

SPEAKER_03

Right? Yeah, so the like what you said, actually, the funny thing is if I had gone to any other school, I probably wouldn't have joined track and field.

Discovering Running And Early Wins

SPEAKER_02

But I I I think in a way it worked for you. Definitely. You know what I mean? And then I think that's great. Um so it was kind of like a cross-country kind of thing. Now, did you did it occur to you, right, at that time? You know, because you're winning races, obviously, you know, and and and being first, and obviously that helped, as you said. At that time, did you have uh a thinking that okay it could get serious? And you know, because sometimes there's a line, right? So for you, you crossed that line from working as an employee as to to now being a full-time athlete. And also at that time, was there a line like you said, hey this this I'm good at this, maybe I should just go full on on athletic, and maybe one day I could be be the best?

SPEAKER_03

Actually, quite quickly on, yes, I would say. Um so my first year I did well, won medals. I think there were towards the end of the season, there was this race where the best few Singaporean athletes we compete with the best few from like Malaysia and Western Australia. Right. So I actually managed to win gold for that race in the 1500s. This was at age uh 14, secondary two. Yep. So then I think that immediately I was like, oh, actually, I just joined this sport and then I'm already achieving a sort of an international medal.

SPEAKER_01

Right.

SPEAKER_03

So then I was already quite so going into the next season training for secondary three, I was already like, wow, I'm gonna really focus on this. And I maybe it was just I really have for me to recount now and to why I got serious so fast. Yeah. But maybe it's just my character also. I just really invested into it. Right. I made sure to like rest properly and really look forward to training at the end of a school day. And then in secondary three, I improved again another step. So I think straight away. If I were to point out, actually, I think in secondary three is 2015. Right. And I actually went to the stadium to watch the C games. Okay. So I was there for all the athletics days. I probably sat there the whole time just watching. And then I remember thinking to myself, oh actually, I think I can get to this level.

SPEAKER_02

Right.

SPEAKER_03

I didn't think it would come so quickly.

SPEAKER_02

Okay.

SPEAKER_03

But I thought, okay, maybe in 10 years time.

SPEAKER_02

Because this was the one in Singapore, right? In Singapore. Yeah, yeah, yeah.

SPEAKER_03

So actually that really did inspire me. Um I didn't expect that I was actually gonna go for the next edition right away, 2017. I thought it would come much later, but I think maybe that would be a point where I thought, you know what, I'm gonna really be serious into this. And um, yeah.

SPEAKER_02

You know, you you spoke about you know the the the the difference, the football and the the the at uh the athletics thing, right? Uh I think in a way as well, in in in football, you you have kind of like have to depend on other people.

SPEAKER_03

Yeah.

SPEAKER_02

Because it's a team game, right? But as an individual uh athlete, right, I think you you do or die, right? It's you. And and I think you can uh uh create that difference or make that difference, you know, it's it's you against yourself in a way. And uh just a little bit before we go on, uh what did you have like any heroes growing up in terms of the running, the distance runners or uh I wouldn't I would say that definitely I I loved just naturally because I love to read.

SPEAKER_03

So when I got into running, I started watching all these videos about the world-class runners, you know, learning about you know just little documentaries, reading upon it.

SPEAKER_00

Right.

SPEAKER_03

I wouldn't pinpoint and say that I had one um idol or anything. Right. But I definitely aspired to like, wow, one day, you know, I want to try to run in the Olympics, I want to try to represent Singapore. Yeah, but I couldn't I wouldn't say that I had one person. Okay. I just really loved learning about it.

SPEAKER_02

How how how when you say you read and and on on like like you know this this world class athletes and and whatever, right? How far do you go back? Give me a name. Like you would think.

SPEAKER_03

So actually, I also have to uh thank some of my teachers in charge. Right. Because they really, really inspired. Like they saw that I had the potential, and then they uh remember one teacher in sectory, he actually gave me a lot of books to read on running. Right. So it went as far back as like Sebastian Cole. He was in the 80s, you know. So I read about him, I read about Al Garouge in the 90s. So really I'm uh again, it's just applying my natural geekiness into everything that I do. So yeah.

SPEAKER_02

Brilliant, brilliant. Um you know, you you you broke records at NSG level, you know, JC level as well, and and competed at the international competitions, right? Like uh the IAAF World Under 18 Championships, right? And and I want to ask you this, because you are from Singapore, and you when you go overseas and you start competing, because I think that's where eyes your eyes open up. Yes, you know, tell me about the levels we are speaking about. Because you know, we're talking about at athletics, right? Tell tell me about the levels we're talking about. Like how far are we?

SPEAKER_03

Um I think in recent years we've made steps. I think, especially with Shanti now being the best in Asia and what she does. But certainly the general discourse I think in track and field is to get to the Asian level is tough, and then Asian compared to the world is another huge, huge leap. Yeah. So my first experience representing Singapore in like a proper OC competition, representing Singapore itself, not Singapore's schools, was I think around 16. I was quite lucky to get the qualifying was a bit low. I went to the Asian juniors, so I was competing against like 19-year-olds. Right. And you were?

SPEAKER_02

And you were 16. Okay, okay, wow.

SPEAKER_03

So definitely like at the back of my heat for the 800, but then that was already like, wow, even in the Asian level, there's a step ahead for me in the next two, three years to get to. And then, but I did definitely progress in my my step when I was 17 and the JC one year, I progressed a lot and I couldn't have expected that. Right. So actually, when I went for that World Under 18 championships, uh I mean the heats, I was 12th overall and even got to the semifinals. So then actually, I didn't really have a sense of wow, so I'm so far away from everyone else. Actually, at the age, I was like, oh, actually, I can do this, you know. Right. I'm actually competing against people from Africa, from from you know, Europe and everything, and I'm actually beating some of them. Right. So yeah, I always had that. I think that again ignited my dream even further.

SPEAKER_02

But hey, but you know, 16 and 19 is a big difference, man. You are definitely gonna see that the difference, right? I'm and that that's one, right? But what what is it exactly? Is it physique? Uh I'm just I'm just comparing between the same age, right? 16 against 16 year olds, right? What is it that we are lacking? And again, this is nothing against Singapore, because we can go on and on about football as well, because we're far ahead, right? But we're just trying to look at the levels, right? So so what is it exactly?

Levels Of Competition And Asia Vs World

SPEAKER_03

What it's so I mean, of course, you know, I've been working in association for the past three years, so I have definitely thought about this question a lot.

SPEAKER_00

Yeah, you read as well about it.

SPEAKER_03

Yeah, I know. I guess over the years I've understood also why this is happening. Why are we not world class, why are we not Asian, but so many reasons. Um, first of all, okay, there are some genetic factors in play. Um and genetic is not just about like what you're born with, I think it's also the lifestyle that you're born into. For example, in Kenya, you know, the I've I've um this really good book called Running with Kenyans, and then it kind of shows why they are so much better than the rest of the world, and it's also due to the fact that they are running as young as possible, they run to school, they live in a high altitude environment. There's these factors that of course you can escape from, can't escape from. Um but then there's another factor where um it has to do with I guess the sort of the culture of the sport in the country. And I'm sure it's the same, it's the same for football, I feel also. Right. Um For example, in Australia, what I've noticed, and I used to study in I study in Australia, I think that from a very young age, kids are exposed to many different sports. Exactly. Yeah, at the age where you're supposed to develop, you know, the window of physical development, they are exposed to such a wide range, and then naturally they're going to be so much more um physically talented by the time they reach their teens and everything. So, of course, in Singapore it's a bit you don't have such a system in place. Uh track and feel is like sort of the mother of all sports, right? And you have such a wide range of skills that needs to be developed to do it. Um so yeah, I guess just the way that the development is done from primary school up is maybe not as good as certain countries. That's how I feel. Yeah, so yeah, so there's genetics that you can't escape from, but there's also just systems. Like I mean, in football, you know, you talk about like Iceland and everything. Right. Their culture is there, and so that's why, you know.

SPEAKER_02

You you you write about, you know, the the the we talk about the Australians just now, right? And and you know, they're exposed to different kinds of sports at an early age, right? And then when when they just grow up, they're they're naturally good at certain things. You know, even the simple things that catching, throwing, throwing with your non-master hand, you know, those kinds of things. And it's so important. And and again, I have to say this because I'm I'm teaching in the tertiary level. Some some students can't even catch a ball, can't even throw a ball, can't even hold a badminton record properly. You know, so so I I hear you. Um can we talk about the 400 meters for a bit now? You know, because you also started running in the 400 meters. So which one started first? 8 or 4? I mean, as in competitively.

SPEAKER_03

Yeah, so when I started right away, I was doing cross-country. Yeah. Uh more 1500 meters, 3,000 long distance. And then secondary three, secondary four, I was I found 800 and 1500 to be the events that I was competing in. I did really well in those events as well. Okay. Um but when I was in JC1, actually, it was more by accident that I discovered my talent for the 400.

SPEAKER_00

Okay.

SPEAKER_03

So there was this race weekend where I was running both the 800 and 1500. And then my coach at that time told me.

SPEAKER_02

And you say weekend, so Saturday is one event and the Saturday and Sunday's.

SPEAKER_03

Which is already a lot to do both races back to back. But my coach said, you know, we're just taking this as training. I want you to also run a 400 at the end of it.

SPEAKER_02

On the day of the 1005 or the 800?

SPEAKER_03

Like I think it was 15 in the morning. So this 800 was probably Saturday, 105 was probably Sunday morning.

SPEAKER_00

Right, right.

SPEAKER_03

Sunday afternoon, just run a 400, and show off as a really good training weekend.

SPEAKER_00

Okay.

SPEAKER_03

And I surprised myself, you know, I ran um 50.1.

SPEAKER_00

Okay.

SPEAKER_03

Which is like, oh, that's pretty that's that's a pretty good timing for someone who's doing it for the first time. Yeah. So then my coach is like, okay, in the next race in two weeks' time, let's do the 400 and 800. Okay. And then from 50.1 in that race, the two weeks later, and the hits, I ran 49. And then the finals, I ran 48. Which 48 seconds in a local standard that already made me the fastest in the in the country that year. And I just 48 seconds. 48.7.

SPEAKER_02

For the four for the 400.

unknown

Yeah.

SPEAKER_03

So that was a bit like, wow, okay. It didn't really sink into me until like I think uh maybe one or two nights later, and I was looking at the World Under 18 Championship qualifying marks that year, and I was like, wait, I already I hit it. It was 49 something. Wow. So I was like, this event that I didn't even know that two weeks ago I was gonna be competing in this year. Um now I've actually made a qualifying mark for a world level competition, you know. So I think naturally I was training for the 400 that year.

SPEAKER_02

Okay.

SPEAKER_03

And that kind of ended up becoming my main event for a couple of years.

SPEAKER_02

Since you said this, right, is it safe to say, I don't know, I'm I'm I'm ignorant about this. Is it safe to say then that your training and your runs at 800 meters uh distance helped you in your 400 in in in a way?

SPEAKER_03

It it definitely does. Um because I already had a good um and base and endurance, um, which a lot of 400 runners maybe they haven't really developed that part of it, you know, because 400 is more of a sprint event.

SPEAKER_01

Right.

400m Breakthrough And Training Philosophy

SPEAKER_03

But it was also the way that my coach um coached me for the 800. So we didn't neglect the speed part of it. So even when I was training for the 800 and 1500, um I was very lucky to have coaches that knew that I still have to work on my speed. So we used to do a lot of short sprints in training, even though that was maybe not the norm what's being done in Singapore. So even though I was getting strong in the 800 and 1500, my speed was also naturally always there. Could have been from my football when I was playing younger. So I had a bit of natural speed there. So I think it just came together very well for me to run a good 400.

SPEAKER_02

I just want to say this, right? You know, the let's start. I mean, we start off with the the the 1005 and then the 800 and the 400 meters, right? It's almost I I know it's it's a certain distance. It's it's a distance, especially a 105, right? Is if you compare it to the 800 and 400 meters. I just feel that there's no room for error. Oh, yeah.

SPEAKER_03

Yeah.

SPEAKER_02

You know, and and you you spoke about speed. I I I I don't know, I'm I'm again ignorant, right? But I think it's essential. Because if you don't have that, then you you're not gonna finish strong, maybe. You know, that the kick, right, at the end, right?

SPEAKER_03

And you you agree that that there's no room for Yeah, uh very different from actually track and field is so unique in a way that we have in within one sport, we have like you can call it multiple different spots. Right. Because of how different and we never even talked about the field events yet. So just within the track events, there's so many different disciplines that are so different from one another. So long distance races, obviously, you have time to even if you slip up, even if you trip up, there's time to. But in middle distance races, where not only is it really fast, but then you're also not running in your own lane. So you have to run and compete, you're kind of have to work out your tactics. Except for the 400. It's 400 is the longest that is still in your own lanes. So yeah, it is, and um, speed is definitely uh key for actually all distances. Right, right. Um, even long distance runners, you see the way in the world class levels, the way they kick in their last lap. There's definitely some natural speed that they've they've built up. Yeah.

SPEAKER_02

Which is your favorite, by the way? Not not the best, huh? As in you, you know, I I know you've broken the record for the 800, but what what is your favorite race?

SPEAKER_03

It is the 800. Yeah, it is the 800, and that's really why also I wanted to get back to it. Okay. Why? Why? Why? Because I don't know. I I think, of course, I think it's my best event. That's one thing. That plays a part because I I enjoy doing it. But I think it's just the fact that it's such a it's a jack of all traits kind of event. You know, you have to within my training program, I literally do stuff from like sprinting the gym all the way to like longer runs. So I get to do like all aspects of it. Um I don't know, maybe it's a bit masochistic also because it really does hurt.

SPEAKER_02

It's probably the most I wanted to ask you the next question. Well, that's crazy, man.

SPEAKER_03

But I guess there's a bit of um pride, satisfaction, and pride to be able to compete in this event.

SPEAKER_02

Even the 400 is a killer. Like at the end, right?

SPEAKER_03

It's just like it is, but I would say the 800 is doubly worse. Um trading for the 800 and the 400. 400 doesn't feel that tough to me. Yeah. Wow.

SPEAKER_02

Now, you know, um uh T Ruburn, we on this podcast we we speak about you know the guests and and trying to inspire people with you know the success and all, right? And and I I think there's no success without the struggles. And I think you struggle a little bit. And and I let's talk a little bit about that, if you don't mind, right? Uh you you you got this hamstring injury, okay? Uh and again, I'm just going back to my experience with football and whatever, right? You usually, usually the hamstring injuries or injuries comes with speed. Generally. Okay. And sometimes when I'm speaking to you, I'm I I get worried because you read a lot, right? And you're gonna you're gonna say something else. No, no, but but seriously, right? I I just get that. So with you, how did this come about, this hamstring injury, right? Because it was it the 400, or was it just during training where you did speed training and yeah.

SPEAKER_03

So yeah, so my JC1 year was really good, managed to run 47.9 and the World Under 18 championships. Okay. So then my next goal for the next year, JC2, was to try for the World Junior Championship. So now it's from under 18, it's under 20. And the qualifying mark, I think, was 47.7. So very attainable, just to improve by 0.2. Yeah. And the national record then was 47.2, so even that was on my mind. So and I think I started the season training very well. Uh, had one early race, but it was really very early part of the season. I was just doing training essentially, and I was working a lot on my curve runs because actually my coach then also was keen on me to race a few 200-meter races just to build up my speed. Right. So I was doing training for 200 actually, essentially. Uh I was doing curve uh off the block start, and during one of the runs, it just felt a like a sharp, um, like a big rubber band hitting your hamstring. So it's snapped feeling. It's technically not a grade three, it was grade two, I think, as a tap. Uh so that happened, I think, in February. My first, really my first setback, I would say, in my career. Because still then, since I started when I was 14, all the way there, it was everything was smooth sailing.

SPEAKER_02

Because there was momentum as well.

SPEAKER_03

Yeah, never even knew what it felt like to not PB. Because every race was a PB, you know, it was going so well. So I think when that happened, um definitely, yeah, because of the speed, and also I think perhaps my strength and conditioning back then wasn't done as well. Okay. In terms of how fast I was improving. Because at that age also, you tend to improve really quickly at that age, you know. Right. Um, but I guess I was improving maybe too quickly for my body to even keep up with how fast my legs were starting to move. Um and then yeah, I just didn't have the strength to cope with that demand of speed.

SPEAKER_02

Was it then the the lack of uh uh I don't know, strength training in the gym or what what is it specifically like? Like, do you think? Um I mean obviously we are thinking back, right? And and it's it's hindsight, right? But but it what do you think?

The Hamstring Tear And Mental Health Slide

SPEAKER_03

Yeah, I mean I think hindsight, of course. My coach coached me to his best ability um and everything. So it's very hard to pinpoint what was the reason that that went wrong. But um obviously maybe could have been maybe doing too much sprint work at that point of the season and yeah, again, maybe the strength and conditioning. I think what mm-hat what we know now in terms of how you do strength and conditioning for the younger, at least during their age, is memory different from 10 years ago. Right. So of course, if I was coaching myself back then, I would have tweaked a few things.

SPEAKER_02

Right, right.

SPEAKER_03

Yeah, but this is yeah.

SPEAKER_02

It's it's got to do with, you know, and uh periodization and stuff like that as well. You know, I think that's important. But uh, you know, for for those of you who are into sports, into running, football, whatever, and and we all know that that when when you get a hamstring injury, it's one of those annoying injuries. Yeah. Because when you get it, and then obviously you're trying to recover and rest and and whatever and do your strength training to recover from that. And then but but you you never know when you get back into training that it could come back again, you know. And I've I've I've got and this is the my my my uh worst uh injuries, yeah, the hamstring injuries, you know, every single time, and then you don't know, you come back and then damn, it goes again. Yeah, and then it's like a setback, right? So so that's very uh irritating. Now, this led to a little bit of a problem with you with your A levels and all that. Talk us through that that uh journey.

SPEAKER_03

So I think especially that year, beyond the trying to qualify for world juniors, it's my last year running the national school games. So even more important for me because um I still had like the 400-meter national um NSG record I didn't break yet, uh, which is well within my capability and all that. So I had a lot of um expectation leading up to that year. So then when I got injured, the next like two months to NSG, I was just scrambling, you know, trying to do all the kind of treatments and trying to get back. And then I got back too early, kind of had a bit of a setback. So I think that took a quite a big toll on my mental health. Okay, um, actually, I didn't realize it yet at that point. Um and then there was still an international race, so the Asian junior champs, uh, which I ran for the first time when I was 16. Now I qualified again. So I still went for that, but I could just strike through the race. I couldn't really run properly also because of the injury. So I think this was happening in the first half of the year, and then obviously when all this is happening, I kind of was not really studying properly also. And then, you know, with the intention that okay, when I'm done with this, the first half of the year, second half of the year, I can catch up.

SPEAKER_00

Yeah.

SPEAKER_03

Because I've always, throughout my whole um studying life, you know, I've always been able to catch up really quickly. But I think what I didn't realize is that you know, when I stopped training, stopped um having training after school and everything, right? That whole sense of myself, like sense of self kind of got lost. Um, because it's a change in lifestyle. It's like I already had attached my identity to this spot, and now suddenly I'm not doing it. And then suddenly I'm thinking about all the how stuff went wrong for me. So it wasn't easy. It wasn't actually, um, I would say I got quite a bit depressed. Yeah. And then that's very difficult then to try and force in information and study when you're at the point. So it was very, very tough. Um and also because I think I lost a bit of um because going into National Junior College is a six-year program.

SPEAKER_01

Yeah.

SPEAKER_03

So I didn't have to do O-level. So I would say that even though I could pick up things really quickly, I didn't really learn the studying habit habit. Ah. Because I was so much into my track and feel, and that was all in my mind, you know. I never really worried too much about studies because I could just like breach through, right? Yeah. So I didn't really build up that studying skill.

SPEAKER_02

The rigor, yeah.

SPEAKER_03

Which uh inevitably in A levels, I think is a lot of it is to do with your how well you can mark, how well you can just sit down and consume that knowledge. It's not so much about thinking on the spot or being intuitive, right? So I think that didn't play to my strength. So I didn't have that studying skill. And that second half of the year, towards my A levels, basically just really couldn't study. Yeah, I just couldn't. So did you fail your A levels or I did, I pretty much failed it. I can't remember my rank points, but it was like I went to the papers basically, like I didn't really know all the content. Okay. It was pretty bad. And of course, that was also making things worse for me because I'm like, oh my god, it my year didn't go off a track. Yeah. And then it went so well in my studies for the whole of my life. Now I'm gonna basically like I knew I was gonna fail my A levels. So that was a tough six months, I would say.

SPEAKER_02

How how did you cope with this? You know, uh obviously you you failed your A levels, and then and how did you cope with this after that? Because you you had to make a decision then, right?

SPEAKER_03

Yeah. So I think definitely without the I have such a strong support system for my family. So when I did share my struggles with my mom, my dad, I think they were immediately so supportive. You know, they already told me, you know what, just focus on your mental health. You know, it doesn't really because my parents never really pushed me to achieve a certain grade or anything like that. So we knew that there's also a possibility for me to retake my A levels the next year. So I actually even went for um I went for therapy sessions, and I think that also helped a lot. Um having someone to be able to talk to and structure my thoughts, that really helped a lot also. So going into my NS year, um, because right away after A levels end in December, then January I enlist to NS.

SPEAKER_00

Okay.

SPEAKER_03

So of course that's also a bit of a like, oh, right into another thing.

SPEAKER_00

Correct.

SPEAKER_03

Um but yeah, actually, I really just really wanted to get like a stay-out kind of job so that I could maybe start training again and then maybe retake my A levels. And I somehow managed to by hookah, I can't, I'm not gonna say that by hookah crew, but I was still past B1, but I got very lucky um in certain ways, managed to get a stay-out job vocation.

SPEAKER_00

Okay. Okay.

SPEAKER_03

So I was able to retake my A levels and maybe start a bit of training again.

A-Levels Struggles, Therapy And NS Reset

SPEAKER_02

So yeah, nice, nice. And uh I think uh that that's great that you had help, you know, from family obviously and from from uh therapy as well. So uh that that that's great news. Now uh let's fast forward and I want to talk, let's talk about your national record uh you know accomplishment. Let's talk about that, right? Let's go back to that record breaking day. Uh it was May 30th, 2025. Correct, yes. Right? Uh it was the Asian Athletics Championship. Tell us the story now. Was it going into that race? You you felt confident? Did you really, or not not did you really, was that the goal? Like I'm I'm I'm going for a record.

SPEAKER_03

I think it was the goal. Um so I started training for 800 meters again in June 2024. So that was after about seven years of not running the event, six to seven years not running the event and only focusing on the 400. So I went back to the switch coaches, right? Uh, started my new training group in older mathletics under Coach Kyrie. Um so that was uh kind of one of our goals we had for the first one year, one and a half years of me running 800 meters was not really so much about trying to max out what I can achieve, but it's more about first of all being um robust injury-wise, fixing all these little um stuff that just kept recurring for me, injury-wise. And then just to get a feel of the event, but we did feel like even within the first year we can have a crack at the national record. Yeah. So that was the goal. And we did also set aside Asian championships, maybe is where I'm gonna go below 150.

SPEAKER_02

Brilliant, brilliant. So deep. Yeah. Is is is Coach uh Kai still your coach?

SPEAKER_03

Yeah, he is my coach. Um so Coach Kai was actually my teammate in my first C games for in 2017. He was in a four by one team. Right. Um and in fact, when I went during COVID, when I went for the coaching course to get my World Athletics level one, sir, he was also in the same coaching cohort as me.

SPEAKER_00

Right.

SPEAKER_03

So I knew him as a friend before anything.

SPEAKER_00

Beautiful.

SPEAKER_03

And when I joined up with him, I think it was also because I knew that there's a chance where we can kind of collaborate on my training rather than me just taking instructions. Because again, that doesn't really work for me when I'm just blindly taking instructions from someone. I need to also have a say in my training. So I think we really it was a very collaborative effort to us to work with this.

SPEAKER_02

Shout out to uh Coach Kai because uh I know Coach Kai from because he was an adjunct lecturer with uh IT as well. Oh yes. That's how uh I know him. So uh well done to Coach Kai as well. And uh during the race itself, right? During that that 800 meters race, did you feel you were on calls already? Like did you really feel good, you know, with the with every everything that's going on around you? Because it's not easy to, you know.

SPEAKER_03

Yeah, I think there's the feeling was just there. I think athletes, some athletes will know what I'm talking about, and some days you're just in this zone. Everything just felt great that day, you know, when I was warming up. At first I was a bit usually there's a usual bit of nerves. But once I actually got going, my mama, I felt like, wow, actually feeling really good today. And then the weather also was just perfect. I think it was as ideal as you wanted to be. You don't want wind, and it was like there was not much wind.

SPEAKER_02

Right. What uh what time of the day was this?

SPEAKER_03

It was in the evening. Again, also is my favorite time to write.

SPEAKER_02

And where was this again? Sorry, Korea. Yeah, Korea, right.

SPEAKER_03

So I think it was about 5 p.m. maybe. So everything was perfect. The weather was like 22, 23 degrees. Nice. Just nice, nice sunset, everything. And then when we were waiting to go into the track, I was seeing the earlier hits and the timings for I think the heat before me was super fast. Okay. So then sometimes you just get this feeling where it's like today is the day where everyone's gonna run fast. And so when I started the race, everything, I think once the gun went off, it was just kind of just in the zone, just kind of floating through and running splits that I never did before in a race. Brilliant. So yeah.

SPEAKER_02

Uh I've got the time, yeah. Tell us the time and and what was the feeling like when you crossed the line and you got that timing? What was the time?

SPEAKER_03

Yeah, so it's 149.94, which is significant because it's the first um time that a Singaporean has run below 1 minute 50 seconds electronically. So there's a very old mark from the 1970s by S. Surendra, 70s or 80s, um, 149.9 also. Okay. But it's hand-timed. Okay. So for record books purposes, we look at the electronic timed. Okay. Yeah. So that's why it's significant. And when I crossed the line, um, I was actually a bit unsure because the last 200 meters I slowed down quite a lot.

SPEAKER_00

Right.

SPEAKER_03

So I was, I knew it was gonna be a PB. I was a bit unsure whether I got the national record. So when it flashed, uh if you see the live stream, you can see me like just putting my hands on my head. Like, I was like, what? Like just to see the digits. Yeah. It's a big change when you see uh it's like a one five, it's one four something, and I was like, what? It just hit me in a moment. I was like, I actually did it, you know, and I saw my turn to the crowd and saw my coaches going crazy, and everyone just, yeah, it was an amazing moment.

The 800m Return And Coaching Partnership

SPEAKER_02

Must have been a brilliant evening and and night as well. And and for for dummies like me, right? What's the difference between electronically timed and hand timed? Obviously, as the word suggests, it's hand-timed. Yeah. But what are the differences? What why do you take a record from the electronically timed one?

SPEAKER_03

Yeah, so I think in the past before we had this uh photo finish system, which gives you the exact timing that you've run down to the thousandth of seconds, right? Uh three decimal points, in fact. And then before that was just hand timed. Okay. And so when with hand timing, there's a bit of a human error element. So usually hand timing is about, so let's say the previous record was 149.9. If you ran it electronically, usually it's about 150.1, 150.2.

SPEAKER_00

Okay. Okay.

SPEAKER_03

Yeah. So then ever since electronic timing comes into play in the I think 80s, 90s onward, it's very common already. So that's what's being used for records. Right.

SPEAKER_02

So so did you party that night in Korea?

SPEAKER_03

I didn't. I actually didn't party because funnily enough, um I was what I did that night was actually writing my own national record report um for my job because Yeah. Yeah.

SPEAKER_02

And uh As as in what what? As in on IG. What what what report are you talking about?

SPEAKER_03

Yeah. So because of my job as uh well back then my job was to do marketing and sponsorships for Singapore Athletics. So I managed the social media pages and something that I started doing was for every national record that's broken by athletes, I'm the one who actually interviews them, writes the ri the report for them. So I was still kind of working actually when I was in Asian Championships.

SPEAKER_02

So you so you basically interviewed yourself, lah?

SPEAKER_03

Yeah. I had a I mean, of course, there were interviews from like Straits Times and all that um that night. But I also immediately wanted to, I mean, I was so happy to be able to say that I can actually write my own record post.

SPEAKER_02

So actually I saw that post where you said that you actually do it, did it for yourself this time around, right? It's it's it's a brilliant post. Well, uh again, I have to say uh congratulations again. And I think I think this will fuel you to better things and and you know I think that will uh do you good, right? Uh again, let's you spoke about this and it's a good uh you know segue, right? Yeah. Marketing and sponsorships. Yeah. So you started working at SA. When was this?

SPEAKER_03

So I started working in Singapore Tethics in 2023, January. So it's a full-time job. I started off. Actually, it was during my last um six months of my university. Okay. I needed to have an internship to finish it off. So then just made sense. I was back in Singapore from Melbourne. Um so there was an intern role available to do marketing. So I joined.

SPEAKER_00

Right.

SPEAKER_03

And the moment I was done with my university, I straightway converted it to a full-time role. So 2023 until I left this year was executive three. Yes, basically.

SPEAKER_02

So what were your roles specifically? I mean, we talk about you are a marketing and sponsorship executive, right? So so role-wise, what did what did you do specifically?

SPEAKER_03

Yeah, so this I was the first person in our association's history to even have this role. Um basically the marketing side of it is running the social media.

SPEAKER_02

You're the first person.

SPEAKER_03

Yeah, we didn't have anyone doing specifically marketing or specifically working on sponsors. Okay. Yeah.

SPEAKER_02

So why why did they open this up? Like how?

SPEAKER_03

I guess the so the general manager back then, um, and I'm not sure why they opened it up, but I guess there was a obviously a need for it. A need for it because you know, this day and age, right? Uh associations, they need the social media to reach out to shout, show, like, shout out their athletes' achievements. Okay. So then it it just makes so much sense for me naturally. Um so the marketing side of it um is basically running running the social media. Yeah. So I did everything from like the graphic design to you know, writing the captions, everything. So social media serves many functions, right? The basic one is to give announcements, yeah, um, registration for events. But then what I did was to also use it as a platform to showcase the athletes their personality, their achievements, everything. So that was what I was managing. And then the sponsorship side of it was essentially growing the number of sponsors that we had as an association. Okay. So when I joined, we only had about four sponsors, and by the time I left, we have about 11. Yeah. So I was a person that kind of lies with the sponsors, um, essentially managing their accounts. Yeah. Yeah.

Record Day In Korea: Tactics And Timing

SPEAKER_02

I I I gotta say, from what you said and from what I've got here as well, right? In terms of uh the numbers. Okay. People like to talk about numbers and stats and whatever, right? You were a success. I I would like to think so. Um wait, let me see. IG from 4,000 followers to 13.1k. Yeah. And this 13.1k is at the last count because I checked last night. Yeah. I think it was 13.1k roughly, right? It should be that. Yes. It's that that's brilliant, right? Sponsorships as well. You said now it's what, 11? It should be 11, yeah. From four. So so you you are a success. Now I want to I want to talk about this, right? Uh you you spoke about that. Uh talking about the athletes, their personalities. I think that's the word you use, right? Do you think this is important? Because I feel personally, it is so important, not only at uh or in athletics, right? I'm talking about across all sports, across all whatever, whatever uh industry, right? I think at the moment we can't run away from that.

SPEAKER_03

Yeah.

SPEAKER_02

Do you think that's very important?

SPEAKER_03

Super important. I think uh, how are you gonna if you wanna garner more support for the sport, if you wanna garner fans to follow and support the athletes, I think that first of all, you need to know who the athletes are on a human level, beyond just their achievements. Because the the stats, the numbers, you can just search it up, you can find out, you find out what the timing the person has run. But I think what I tried to do was also highlight their stories, um, highlight what it took for them to get to their national record, you know, a bit more about their um, you know, what their feelings were when they broke the record, that kind of thing. And I think it did have an impact in that um obviously the fans were able to understand better who our national athletes are. Um they are more invested in the success of their athletes. So this is not just about athletics, of course, all the sports. If you want to really get Singaporeans on your side, you know, to follow your stories and you know, build that national pride when you see your athletes compete. And then that of course it builds into a lot of other things to improve the sport. I think social media is like inevitable. I mean, you you can't escape from here. That's the best tool. It's the primary tool. I mean, yeah. So yeah.

SPEAKER_02

It's it's brilliant because it's also about telling the the athlete's story. You know, you talk about successes and all. And again, if if if there wasn't any uh SM, social media and whatever, people might not even know about you. Yes, they can read from the papers that okay, yes, you you've broken the record, and after that's it, dead, right? Yeah. Because there's no IG. There's no Facebook and whatever. So I think that's very important. There's something that you said, and I want to just quote this. The only thing stopping people from pursuing a sporting career in Singapore is because they don't have the opportunity to earn from it.

SPEAKER_03

Yeah.

SPEAKER_02

Speak about this?

SPEAKER_03

I mean, again, you know, nowadays, um sport, all sports becoming increasingly more competitive, right, all over the world. People are taking it more seriously. It's no longer just some hobby or something that you do on the side.

SPEAKER_01

Yeah.

SPEAKER_03

So naturally, if you want to for Singaporeans to take that next step, uh, we have examples, you know, we have I mean Shanti went full-time with the support of her spec scholarship and then later on her sponsors, she's able to do that. And you can see when you're a professional athlete, the difference it makes in your performance when you're dedicating all your time and your energy towards your sport. Um but yeah, and naturally in Singapore, the way our everyone is um well educated, everyone has a job, uh well-paying job. Most of us have a well-paying job or industry that we can go into right after this. So why would you want to not? Why would you want to leave that on a whole when you do sports where most sports are at an amateur level? Yep. Um, you know, and in football, you can join athlete clubs, you can earn a salary from there, but in track and feel there's no salary-earning uh mechanism in play. So I think there's definitely steps being taken now, more by uh like corporate partners and also from you know funding from Sports SG to give you these scholarships and everything. So hopefully more people are seeing it as a viable way to make a living. Yeah.

SPEAKER_02

I I think another point that I want to add on to that as well. Yeah, you you spoke about the the salary for professional athletes, right, coming in, and we talk you just spoke about the S-League now, obviously it's called the SBL, right? But you know, it's not only that, it it has to be substantial as well. Yeah, you know, I think that's very important. You can't be you you can't attract someone, a youngster, into professional uh athletics, for example, and pay and pay him a thousand five every month. Yeah. It's not gonna work. Anywhere in the world, it's not gonna work. Yeah, right. So I think that's important, and I just want to add on to that. Well done. Which goes to my next uh uh discussion point with you, right? Uh you quit your job recently, which was a month back. Sorry, yeah. Pretty much, yeah. Pretty much so, right? After three years?

SPEAKER_03

Three exact years, I would say. So 2023, 2020. End of 2025, yeah.

Media, Socials And Writing His Own Record

SPEAKER_02

So tell me exactly what are the reasons. I think you spoke a little bit about that that just now with uh Ishanti and all, right? So what are the main reasons for going pro?

SPEAKER_03

Yeah, I think it was me reflecting after the end of 2025 C games because it uh didn't go the way I I wanted to.

SPEAKER_00

Yeah.

SPEAKER_03

Um it was still something I was very proud of within my first year of running for the 800, but I knew that there were so many areas where I could have trained a bit better and everything. And I think it was to do with the fact that I was also as flexible as my job is, because really have to shout out to my general manager, WGMs, who took care of me basically and gave me the flexibility to train. But working is still there's still a mental stress there where when you're already training twice a day and to do work in between and to have it on your mind, you're trying to sleep, but you're not really like still thinking about work. It's it's definitely a difference. So I thought, you know what, I'm already 26 this year. Uh there's not that many years left in my career, you know, athletics career, to be able to do this at a high level. Yeah. And everything is there in terms of my support systems and everything. So if I were to ever do it in my life, this is it, this is the moment where I can really commit 100% to my sport. Because my my biggest driving factor is not to um win a certain medal or anything, it's just to know that by the end of my career I'm achieved my full potential. And to achieve that full potential, you know, I should optimize everything I can while I can do it. Yeah. So then going full time just made sense to me. Yeah.

SPEAKER_02

Were you afraid to make that step to step over the line?

SPEAKER_03

I don't think I was I was that afraid. I think it just again it made so much sense to me. And it's I'm excited. Yeah. I was excited to do it. I think since I've done it, a lot of people have come up to me and they're like, wow, you're so brave for doing this. But to me, I'm like, is it really that brave of a thing to do? Because I love I love doing my sport.

SPEAKER_02

We're living in Singapore, that's why.

SPEAKER_03

That's why that's why I realized in the last one or two months. But actually, it just makes so much sense to me. I wasn't scared because I love my sport so much. Yeah, I'm not someone driven by money to the point where I need to be earning a certain amount every month. Yeah, it's like this is my twenties, um, this is when I'm gonna chase my dreams. And I'm really I've uh loved um competing overseas, traveling overseas. It's really given me memories for like a lifetime.

SPEAKER_01

Yeah.

SPEAKER_03

And these are the moments, these are the periods of my life where I can make these memories. So yeah, I'm not gonna regret it down the road.

SPEAKER_02

Yeah. Well done, man. Well done. I I I think we we really and I I really appreciate that, that the way you think that's that's brilliant, right? I I just want to ask you about this, right? And uh obviously in the past few months after the C games, there were criticism of uh athletics, the sport in general, right? And we this this this phrase came about obviously you know from where, you know, bring knives to the gunfight, and then that that kind of thing. Did you think the criticism uh was unjust, unfair?

Marketing Role At Singapore Athletics

SPEAKER_03

Yeah. I took well, I didn't really look at it as criticism. I think it's what um I think I'll just today I was reading the article that our Singapore Athletics president uh was in the Straits Times today and he was saying how it's actually just a it's a if anything, it's a compliment that athletics has now gotten to a certain level where more can be expected of us. Okay. Because we've we are consistently now achieving a couple of medals, you know, nine to twelve medals every C games. So yeah, I think it was actually a good um push for us as a as a sport to, you know what, now let's take it to the next level. Because we as a sport are big enough to now invite even more sponsors on board to even um I think what this batch of athletes have done, people like Shanti has shown the younger batches that hey, this is we can actually be Asian level, we can compete at this high level. So if anything, I think that comment just is just a bigger push for the whole fraternity. And I I think in the next five, ten years we're gonna grow even more. Yeah.

SPEAKER_02

Yeah, I think I I think Shanti has done very well as well. You know, I think uh she's she's been brilliant, obviously, with the struggles and all, right? So she's been brilliant as well. So since you've gone uh full time, yeah, what's your typical day like?

SPEAKER_03

Yeah. So yeah, again, training twice a day, most days. Okay. Yeah. So I think I've one thing quite interesting is I've changed my uh we call it a training microcycle. Okay. It's the smallest like a training block. Yeah. And it used to be just seven days. So Monday to Saturday train, Sunday rest day. Okay. Uh but now that I don't really have to structure my life around work, working hours, working like days of weekdays, weekends doesn't really make weekend, weekdays and weekends are the same to me now, which is awesome. So I'm actually training on like a two-week block. So I train for 12 days and then I have a full weekend off.

SPEAKER_00

Okay.

SPEAKER_03

Yeah. 12 days, two week two days off. And that's a lot closer to what um elite professionalities train.

SPEAKER_02

And these 12 days, you train twice a day?

SPEAKER_03

Uh most days. So within the 12 days, there are days which are like hard days where I'm kind of medium and then low days where it's more recovery focus.

SPEAKER_02

So that's 24 sessions in those 12 days?

SPEAKER_03

I think it comes up to about 20 sessions. Because some days, the easier days are just one session. Yeah. So about 20 days. But of course, there are there's a whole range of what I'm doing. Okay. So for the 800 meters, I have really easy runs which are like really for recovery. I have kind of steadier runs, I have all my track work at race pace, I have sprints, I have um gym work, so it's a whole range. Yeah.

SPEAKER_02

Yeah, uh, I know I just chuckled there, Jiu Just because we you spoke about uh easy runs before when we came on, and and you know, I was telling you it's relative. Like what's easy to you? Is it easy for someone else, right? So so you do this uh with with Coach Kai or on your own sometimes?

SPEAKER_03

Um so not every session is with Coach Kai, because some sessions like my easy runs just run around my house, you know, the park connector or whatever. Uh but Coach Kai and I kind of we sit down and we plan um the workouts together, the training plans. We are very we c we closely um monitor how I'm doing. I also have a really good support team in um the Singapore Sports Institute.

SPEAKER_00

Okay.

SPEAKER_03

Um physiologists, nutritionists. Um yeah, it's really the full like full ensemble of um, I wanna uh I wanna ask you, right?

SPEAKER_02

You do speed training. What kind of speed training? Okay, let's say give me give me a typical speed session.

SPEAKER_03

Like what like distance and times and what uh so yeah, so speed actually I think a very common misconception in a lot of um runners, long distance, middle distance runners, they think speed is like, I don't know, 200 meter repeats or something. But actually, when I talk about speed, it's really maximal sprints. Okay. So with the weakest and sprinting high, maybe about uh we do this thing called flies. So we run into it and then there's a like a 30-40 meter part where we're really running all out.

SPEAKER_00

Okay.

SPEAKER_03

So I'm really tracked up like trying to um practice my maximum speed.

SPEAKER_00

Okay.

SPEAKER_03

Uh my technique and the the velocity that comes with it running at the same time.

SPEAKER_02

So when you say that that 40, the 40 meters of s sprint, yeah, but but you you you start off slowly then and then that 40 meters you sprint.

SPEAKER_03

So within that section is where I'm running at maximum speed. Okay. That's how a fly works. Right. So I'd also do some acceleration before that. So there's about I mean, as an 800 meter runner, you start on a standing start. It's not no longer blocks, but I still need to work on uh my first 40 meters. Right, right. Yeah, so it's really sprinting again. It's it's really sprinting, and I'm still going to compete in the 400 meter this year.

SPEAKER_02

Right.

SPEAKER_03

Um another sub-goal for me this year would be to break the 400 meter national record.

SPEAKER_02

Yeah. Good luck to you, man. I'm I'm I'm just I'm just uh listening to you and I'm just like getting nauseous. You know? And and it's it's great, you know, and and it's it's come down to science at the end of the day, right? And it's it's brilliant, and it you we can read up about this, but it's really it has come down to that. Um you know, I I I get this feeling as well. You talk about the the the running days, and even before you turn pro, I just get this feeling that you don't you don't have time for friends or uh I don't know, leisure or whatever, right? Is that true?

Athlete Stories, Sponsorships And Culture

SPEAKER_03

Yeah, I sacrifices my. But I also don't really feel like I lose out on social life just because of my training group, my community in athletics itself is so like it's big and it's really good community that we have, and everyone's just having so much fun at training. Right. But yeah, of course, is the when I'm training, okay. Maybe we talked about last year when I'm also working, right? And then I'm training twice a day most days. Um by the time I'm done by the day, the most important thing is sleep. So there's no way I could have late night outs. On my rest days I spend with my girlfriend. So that's a bit of my social life, is also my girlfriend. Okay. And of course that you know, having someone that you can de-stress with also helps a lot. Okay. Uh yeah, but I think it's very common. All athletes at a competitive level, you eat healthy, you sleep well. These are just like non-negotiables.

SPEAKER_02

Right. Right, right. And I I wanted to ask you j just now whether you have a girlfriend. Okay, you answered the question. Well done. Um You know, I I I was looking at your bio and you you've got certain things in there in terms of the goals that were really you already set it out, which is which is it's it's good, right? Because you've you already have certain goals uh out there and and I'm just reading it, uh reading through it, right? And we we talk about uh the Asian games in 2026 uh to be a finalist in the 800. But you you've got it down to uh specifics, right? And and I I just wanna wish you all the best because I got it in here and and I'm just looking at it, and maybe in 2026 or 2027 I'm gonna give you a call again, I'm gonna congratulate you again and it's brilliant, right? Uh and one of those is a 2027 Sea Games goal in the 800 meters as well. Uh yeah, so so good luck for that. You know? Thank you. Uh before we leave, Tiruban, I've got uh uh a quick fire wrap-up questions off your head. Yeah. Easy peasy for you, my friend, right? Your favorite race day meal?

SPEAKER_03

My mom's my mom's like pasta, uh spaghetti. Yeah.

SPEAKER_02

So how long before that, before the race?

SPEAKER_03

I think usually it goes for like three to four hours before. But then after that, I still have like little snacks in between, energy gel and all that stuff.

SPEAKER_02

But if you're racing away overseas?

SPEAKER_03

Then really it's about adapting. Yeah, it's just adapt to whatever is available. But something clean, yeah, something carby.

SPEAKER_02

Okay. Favorite thirst quencher?

SPEAKER_03

I think 100 plus, maybe. Uh just isotonic drink. Yeah. I think that's what I grew up on, also, right? Yeah.

SPEAKER_02

What's on your headphones before a race?

SPEAKER_03

Depends on whether I want to amp myself up or calm myself down. If I'm trying to if I need more hype, then I probably rap. Um if I'm calming myself down, probably just something a bit more melodic, something just yeah.

SPEAKER_02

Why would you calm yourself down?

SPEAKER_03

Because I think there's a there's a right amount of nerves that you need. Okay. So you can either be, and I know what that is for me.

SPEAKER_02

Okay.

SPEAKER_03

So I know when I need a a bit more of a boost to get to that, or when I need to relax myself a bit more.

SPEAKER_02

Okay, give me a hype uh a hype song. A rap hype song now. Off your head, come on.

SPEAKER_03

Yeah, I don't know, man. I it's just a I can give you artists lah. Okay, yeah, artists. Artists, maybe Playboy Kati is one of my favorites. Yeah. Great.

SPEAKER_02

The best venue that you have competed in, Korea.

SPEAKER_03

Actually, no. I would say the best venue. Oh, I think it's um maybe Asian Games in Hangzhou in 2023.

SPEAKER_00

Okay. Why?

SPEAKER_03

Because I think the crowd was like 70, 80,000. Wow. Yeah, it was crazy. It was like walking into uh like one of those videos when I used to watch the Olympic races, right? In the Olympics and everything, I was actually walking into that scene. Wow. So it was amazing, yeah, to see so like the stands being so much higher than you. Wow. Uh the worst venue. Well, I don't know, that's so bad. Uh be bad for once. I mean, there's some tracks in Singapore which I don't like competing in. Where? Uh I had good races in Yo Chukang Stadium like in 2024, but I don't like that there's not much space to warm up. Okay. Fair, fair.

SPEAKER_02

Uh your worst fear.

SPEAKER_03

Worst fear. Not um living a life without purpose, probably. Yeah.

SPEAKER_02

Your biggest vice.

SPEAKER_03

Gummy bears. Yeah. I just love like gummy bears. Like literally. I would say it's like sweet snacks. Actually, it's not even a vice because I think my nutritionist told me I can have it before, but I just love um I like my uh comfort food, maybe. You don't smoke, you don't drink? No, I can't. I mean I wouldn't that would be have you? Have I? I mean I've drunk, I've got I do drink. Okay, yeah, yeah. Like on a social occasion, end of season one day. Okay. I mean that's I think that's fine.

SPEAKER_02

Your biggest disappointment so far.

SPEAKER_03

Biggest disappointment. I don't really I don't feel I've disappointed myself in a lot of ways. Okay.

SPEAKER_02

Not about you, it could be something else. Something that's disappointed you.

SPEAKER_03

That's a heavy question for a quick fire one. Off your head. Uh I mean of course that biggest disappointment feeling when I was in athletics was that uh when I was 18 and I tore my hamstring. So that was yeah, that was disappointment.

SPEAKER_02

Biggest achievement?

SPEAKER_03

I think breaking the national record, the 800 meters.

SPEAKER_02

Now, the last one, right? If you're stuck on an island alone, what are the three things you would love to have with you?

SPEAKER_03

Um a pair of running shoes. I think a pair of running should you know what, yeah, a pair of running shoes. So I could run bad foot, but I think running, I have to be still active and running.

SPEAKER_00

Okay.

SPEAKER_03

Um football. Okay. Because I love kicking ball and I miss playing football. Great. And yeah, I guess um music. I think I would also be so hard to live without um listening to music. Yeah.

SPEAKER_02

I just wanted to ask you, you you you you are not allowed to play football, right?

SPEAKER_03

It's not that I'm oh actually, I guess I'm not allowed to, but I also there's just no way for me to play football.

SPEAKER_02

Don't, man.

SPEAKER_03

I can't. I actually, in fact, so at the end of every season, we organize like a small footsall match between the thing. And even from playing at one time, right? Because my body is so adapted now to moving, um, not moving laterally, moving a straight line.

SPEAKER_02

Yes.

SPEAKER_03

So once I start trying to play laterally, right, it's yeah, it causes my adductors, everything. It's just it's just not a good idea for me now. Yeah. Sadly.

SPEAKER_02

Yeah, please, please don't as well, right? Yeah. And uh just going back to your answer, right? The barefoot thing, right? What do you think about barefoot running, by the way? I see some people doing it, right? Is it is it good? Is it bad?

SPEAKER_03

What what I think if there's a good surface to do it on, I think barefoot running, especially on grass, is actually quite uh therapeutic. It's quite um and actually when you you'll notice when you run barefoot, you actually run with a really good form because you naturally your body already has the instinctive so shoes kind of mask our form. But I think obviously you're not gonna run barefoot on the roads or anything like that.

SPEAKER_02

But it's like that there's this uh grounding effect, right? There is, yeah.

SPEAKER_03

I think I read about that, yeah. Yeah, brilliant.

SPEAKER_02

Tiruban, before we leave, right? I uh is there any message for any young athletes out there who have been in your situation before, maybe 14, 15, 16, you know, trying to make the grade or even at JC level or you know, even you know, trying to make it in life in terms of you know that that sporting part. Any message for them?

SPEAKER_03

I think the main thing that has helped me in my career so far is really the mental is the having faith in yourself.

SPEAKER_01

Yeah.

SPEAKER_03

I think from a young age I realized, you know, wait, I can achieve these things. I never really doubted it. That self-doubt, um, once you clear that in your head, once you realize that actually a lot of sport and a lot of life is just your mental, how you approach things, especially at a young age when you're like your brain can literally change, right? What you think. So if you think in a very positive way, you think you can achieve it, you are most likely gonna get close or gonna achieve it. So don't put yourself down. Don't don't see any limits, I guess. Yeah.

SPEAKER_02

Yeah. Well, I I said uh episode 100 will be a great one. It it has been a great one. Tiruban, thank you for you know uh sharing this uh studio with me today. It's been uh a great chat, a great conversation with you, and I wish you all the best in the in the coming years and and you know, hopefully you achieve what you set out to be or to do in the near future, right?

SPEAKER_03

Thank you so much. Thanks for having me. It's very fun, and I'm glad to be your 100th episode. Yeah. Great.

SPEAKER_02

And uh yeah, like I said, uh this has been episode number 100. Uh thanks for uh being here, for watching, for tuning in, and uh don't forget, click on that follow button. We are out everywhere YouTube, Spotify, Apple Podcasts, uh your usual podcast platforms. Uh till the next time, we see you again. Cheers.