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Singapore #Fitspo of the Week: Joshua Tay

Singapore #Fitspo of the Week: Joshua Tay (PHOTO: Cheryl Tay)
Joshua Tay is currently a personal fitness trainer. (PHOTO: Cheryl Tay)

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: Joshua Tay (@joshua_isaiah_tay)

Age: 35

Height: 1.70m

Weight: 67kg

Occupation: Personal Trainer

Status: Married with one son

Diet: I used to be very strict with my nutrition but I’ve taken it easy and become more aware of what I put in my body. Instead, I would stick to a healthy and hearty breakfast which consists of oats and honey with a mixture of fruits. For lunch and dinner I would tend to stay away from fried and oily foods, but once in a while I’ll treat myself to some prata or char kway teow.

Training: I would mix things up with weights training at the gym, CrossFit, HIIT (high-intensity interval training) and calisthenics with wakeboarding twice a week

Singapore #Fitspo of the Week: Joshua Tay (PHOTO: Cheryl Tay)
Joshua Tay represented Singapore in wakeboarding at the 2015 and 2017 SEA Games. (PHOTO: Cheryl Tay)

Q: What was your sporting journey like?

A: I used to have quite a few co-curricular activities back in primary and secondary schools but I was most competitive in gymnastics and track and field. Then as I got older, I had a go at muay thai but was mostly into wakeboarding.

How did you start wakeboarding?

I started wakeboarding in 2008 when my cousin invited me to try it out. Ever since then I got hooked. I’ve won a few small competitions and some overseas ones but I guess getting a silver in the Team category at the SEA Games twice takes the cake. I’ve also competed in the Wakeboard World Cup, Asian Championships, Asia-Australasia Cup, Malaysia Nationals and Singapore Nationals, just to name a few.

You represented Singapore at the Southeast Asian Games in wakeboarding twice, in 2015 and 2017. How was that like?

There was a lot of pressure and stress involved as I had to juggle work and training. I will definitely love to take part again if my body allows me to.

Singapore #Fitspo of the Week: Joshua Tay (PHOTO: Cheryl Tay)
Joshua Tay made the switch from a business development job to become a personal trainer on the encouragement of his wife. (PHOTO: Cheryl Tay)

You’re working as a fitness trainer now, doing personal training and teaching classes. How did you get into this line?

It was my wife who asked me to give it a try since I’m always so active and she noticed I had the knack for it. So in 2017 I quit my job and became a personal trainer. Before that I was doing business development in FMCG.

What do you enjoy about your job?

Bringing my clients to a level they never thought possible by empowering them with physical and mental confidence.

What are your fitness goals now?

To be able to maintain my physical and athletic abilities till I’m old and wrinkly.

Has becoming a dad changed anything about your lifestyle?

It changes everything! Everything that I set out to do needs to revolve around my family.

Singapore #Fitspo of the Week: Joshua Tay (PHOTO: Cheryl Tay)
Joshua Tay's fitness goal is to maintain his physical and athletic abilities until he is old. (PHOTO: Cheryl Tay)

Do you have times when you don’t feel confident about yourself?

Just like anyone, I do have my bad days but it’s just a matter of telling yourself it’s all in the mind. Just keep training and sticking to your goals and objectives. Constantly ask yourself why are you doing this. Without the “why”, your goals and objectives are just immeasurable “wants”.

Are you contented with your body now?

I’m never satisfied.

Do you get any comments about your body?

People do ask me how I stay lean and fit. I tell them I’m just lucky I have good genetics.

Singapore #Fitspo of the Week: Joshua Tay (PHOTO: Cheryl Tay)
Singapore #Fitspo of the Week: Joshua Tay. (PHOTO: Cheryl Tay)