18
LUMEN | ALUMNI
Alumni Action in
By Caritas Lee and Eugenia Ang
Singapore hosted the
28th South-East Asian ( SEA ) Games in June this year . As a nation , we saw many of our proud athletes in action during the games . From gymnastics to sailing to diving , our athletes put in their best , fought the battle and wowed the nation . A number of those participating athletes were our very own SJI alumni and Lumen was fortunate to interview six of them : Gregory Gan , Mark and Timothy
Lee , Jeremiah Yeoh , Luke Yap and Cheong
Su-Yen .
Gymnast Gregory Gan graduated in the year 2006 . Gymnastics had been close to his heart since a tender age of five . Competing ever since primary school , he has worked tirelessly to where he is today .
The hardest moment in his sporting career was during the 2007 SEA Games in Korat , Thailand . Having sustained an injury the day before the competition , he was distraught from the physical and emotional agony that he had suffered , which led to his quitting the sport in order to recuperate . Thankfully that decision was temporal as he returned to the sporting scene three years later to compete in the 2011 SEA Games in Palembang .
Training had always been gruelling but when he was still in school , his parents were his source of strength . Now as an adult , he is aware of his own responsibilities as a national athlete and the things he can achieve . To him , self-motivation is the key to his perseverance . Like a true Lasallian , he remains humble despite his achievements - Gregory emerged 7th in the 28th SEA Games Men ’ s Parallel Bars Finals while his team clinched a Bronze medal in the Men ’ s Team Event . Gregory acknowledges there are always role models to learn from and personal bests to be outdone .
Though gymnastics is just one sport in a sea of many , it finds much relevance in a plethora of other fields . Those who drift away from the sport may find themselves doing something very similar elsewhere .
Having represented SJI in gymnastics during their secondary school years at SJI , fellow old boys and twins Mark and Timothy Lee ( Class of 2006 ) switched to diving in 2009 and 2011 respectively . Synchronised diving combines elements of gymnastics such as flexibility and strength with air awareness . Divers are judged on the level of difficulty of their dives and the harmonious symmetry of their leaps . The brothers agreed it was the uniqueness and intensity of the sport that intrigued them .
When asked if there were times that they felt like giving up , Mark says , “ It is through these hard times which we
learn more about ourselves than ever before . So the key is to just push through and keep your eyes fixed on the light at the end of the tunnel .” For Timothy , the sport has taught him that everything happens for a reason , which has become his life mantra . Both believe that all the failures and setbacks are learning opportunities , and by adopting such an attitude , they will produce better results .
Though clichéd , there is truth in “ Two is better than one .” When the going gets tough , the brothers will try to encourage one another so as to maintain a positive mindset for training . The support , discipline and intensive training have borne sweet fruits as Mark and Timothy won a Silver in the SEA games Men ’ s 3m Synchronised Springboard Final this year .
Similar to the two of them , who thrive in water , those who compete on water have their own story to tell .
Having sailed for 11 years now , Jeremiah Yeo ( Class of 2010 ) has progressed from various classes of junior boats to eventually the Olympic class boat . Together with his sailing partner Darren Choy , they emerged champions in the Double- Handed 470 Men ’ s Race in the 28th SEA games , proving their proficiency in the sport .
Jeremiah committed so much time to sailing simply because he is passionate about the sport and thoroughly enjoys competing with other sailors from around the globe . To him , the hardest time in his sailing experience thus far is during his ‘ A ’ Level year when he spent a fair amount of time overseas training and competing in regattas . Juggling studies