Singapore #Fitspo of the Week: Clare Chang
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: Clare Chang (@claregwendolyn)
Age: 24
Height: 1.66m
Weight: 53kg
Occupation: Student
Status: Attached
Diet: I eat intuitively and do my best to have balanced meals. Life would be pretty boring without ice cream and chocolate.
Training: I do my best to work out at least three times a week, even if that means just walking home instead of taking the bus.
Q: You used to swim competitively although you nearly drowned once.
A: Yeah, I used to be afraid of the water because I almost drowned once. So from that to competing in a few inter-school swimming championships some years back has been a huge highlight in my fitness journey. I encourage anyone to move out of their comfort zone and try something that scares them because it is fulfilling.
I also did table tennis and then explored biathlon because I love swimming and running. I have a lot of admiration for people who compete in marathons, biathlons and triathlons. It honestly takes so much dedication, self-motivation and willpower.
When you started working, how did your fitness regime change?
My fitness regime has changed since I stopped regular swimming training. Now, I enjoy going to the gym for boxing, HIIT (high-intensity interval training) and spin classes. Occasionally, I will also drop in for a few yoga classes.
What are your fitness goals now?
Growing older, my main fitness goals are keeping active and getting stronger. I focus on maintaining a regular workout routine because a healthy body comes with a healthy mind.
What are your objectives for working out now?
My objectives for working out are to practise discipline and cultivating good lifestyle habits.
When did you feel the least confident about yourself?
I think I felt least confident about myself when I compared myself to the people around me. When I was in competitive swimming, it was really easy to be distracted by the people around me. When I wasn’t performing to the standard I wanted to be at, I doubted myself.
Looking back, it was silly to have given myself pressure to perform the same way as everyone else during every session or competition. Everyone is on an individual fitness journey – so inevitably peaks and lows are going to differ. Confidence comes when you recognise that the only person you are competing with is yourself to be the best version you can be.
Are you content with your body now?
I am. If you shift your focus away from looking good to getting stronger and keeping healthy, the satisfaction is a lot more sustainable. I’m very thankful for everything that my body allows me to do from daily functional activities to sports.
Have you ever received any comments about your body?
Yeah, people are always going to have their own opinions. I just focus on being the best version of me.