Singapore #Fitspo of the Week: Chew Yi Heng
Life goes beyond the digits on the scale and your body is capable of so much more. Yahoo’s #Fitspo of the Week series is dedicated to inspirational men and women in Singapore leading healthy and active lifestyles. Have someone to recommend? Hit Cheryl up on Instagram or Facebook.
Name: Chew Yi Heng (@cchewinggum)
Age: 26
Height: 1.83m
Weight: 74kg
Occupation: Product design engineer
Status: Attached
Diet: The Just Eat Anything (JEA) Diet. Moderation is key.
Training: About 20 to 22 hours a week when training for an Ironman triathlon. But these days, it’s more about enjoying the sport, which is about 7 to 10 hours a week.
Q: What kind of sports did you do throughout your schooling days?
A: Similar to many of my peers, we used to be involved in everything and anything – from basketball, soccer, table tennis, taekwondo from primary to secondary school, to competing at the inter-school competitions for air rifle. Then I got into competitive swimming in upper secondary and that translated into a few good years of water polo and sport lifesaving.
What types of fitness did you dabble into as you grew older?
I really got into cycling during and after national service as well as running, which eventually led me to completing my first marathon.
How and why did you get into triathlons?
A close teammate from my water polo team in polytechnic, who was also an avid triathlon, hooked me up with a bike and the rest is history. It also helped that I was trying to get (the silver mark) for my 2.4km run back then so I didn’t have to enlist early. Haha!
Other than triathlon, any other sports you are active in?
Three sports are enough! Jokes aside, I have a soft spot for team sports like water polo and lifesaving which offer their own unique thrills. The camaraderie and spirit from competing as a team is unlike any other.
What are some of the highlights of your triathlon journey?
Competing in chilly conditions at the International Triathlon Union (ITU) British National Championships in Leeds in 2018. Another would be at the Ironman 70.3 World Championships in Chattanooga, United States, in 2017, after recovering from a torrid cycling accident a few months before. These are some of my most memorable races due to the conditions and race course. (And of course, representing our little red dot on the world stage.)
What are some life lessons you've learnt from sports?
One thing endurance sports has reinforced into me is the ability of the human mind. The statement “mind over matter” cannot be truer. It ain’t over till it’s over.
You nearly lost your left arm in a cycling accident three years ago, what happened?
I was doing a round-island ride with my team on Chinese New Year Eve in 2017. We were cruising along Tuas (I was the second rider) when the front rider lost balance, went down and wiped my front wheel clean. I lost consciousness after I landed hard onto the concrete pavement. My helmet and quick thinking cycling mates saved me by not shifting me and quickly calling for medical assistance. I ended up having my brachial artery ruptured, a full closed dislocation of the left elbow, and I also snapped my left clavicle and left ring finger. In short, I nearly lost my left arm.
You still went on to race in the Ironman 70.3 World Championship a few months later!
Yeah, despite the doctor’s advice to miss the race, being the stubborn fellow I was, I was hell bent on going ahead with it. During the race, I really suffered during the swim as I had only about two to three swim sessions prior to my last operation. I had to stop midway and hug the buoy for a bit due to the pain but somehow made it back to shore.
That year, the race was held in Chattanooga and it was by no means an easy course – the 90km bike course had about 1,200-metre elevation up a lookout mountain, and my heart was in my mouth as I made those really sketchy 70-80kmh descents on the way down. Completing the race really gave me confidence and got me back on track in life and I wouldn’t think twice about doing it again.
Did the accident affect you mentally as well?
Saying no would be a big lie. Ever since that accident I have had a huge mental barrier especially during racing, at speed or on the descents. The fear stems from not knowing what or how the crash happened personally as I lost my memory from that window. But I'm learning to gain back that same confidence over time.
What's next?
Things look pretty bleak at the moment but I have the 70.3 World Championships in Taupo, New Zealand, to come. Long term-wise, is to enjoy the sport as long as my body allows.
When did you feel the least confident about yourself?
If there were two times I felt this way, it would be when I was obese in lower secondary and right after my last operation in 2017 when I was frail from month after month of antibiotics. But sports helped me get back on track in overcoming these insecurities and negative thoughts.
Are you content with your body now?
I don’t think there was ever a dream physique for me to chase. As long as I'm healthy. My body is a product of the lifestyle I choose, so yes, work hard, play (and eat) hard. Life is too short to not enjoy all the good food out there.
Have you ever received any comments about your body?
Yes, people often ask me why I’m so tanned. I often get mistaken as a “Chindian” or Malay.
