Singapore #Fitspo of the Week: Ben Tan

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: Benjamin Tan (@bentan_)
Age: 29
Height: 1.79m
Weight: 75kg
Occupation: Creative director
Status: Single
Diet: I usually opt for meals that are high in protein and carbs and I stay away from oily food and sugary drinks. I do have frequent cravings for desserts which I cannot resist.
Training: I hit the gym two to three times a week and each session lasts for about 1 hour.

Q: What sports did you play as a kid?

A: I played badminton competitively from Primary 4 till Secondary 2. During this period of time, my mum also enrolled me and my sisters in swimming and taekwondo classes in order to train up
our survival skills. Thank you Mummy!

How did you get into contemporary dance during your junior college days?

During the graduating year in secondary school, I was really envious whenever my dance friends performed all the cool moves. I aspired to do something new hence I took a leap of faith and went for the auditions at Anglo-Chinese Junior College.

How far did you take your dance?

After getting into AC Dance, I was exposed to a whole new world of productions, showbiz and art. I competed in the Singapore Youth Festival, local dance competitions and performed alongside local artistes such as Cheryl Wee and Nathan Hartono. It was also through dance that I began producing and directing my own shows.

You got into cheerleading in university after that. How did that happen?

Cheerleading was something that I had never expected myself to get into. I joined my hall team KR Steppers at the National University of Singapore, because the seniors were really friendly and welcoming during orientation. They were a fun bunch who were really intimate and I wanted to be part of the family.

I competed with the team at national competitions and got the chance to represent Singapore in an international one. Training was really strenuous and challenging. We would train up to four times a week when we were in competition season. The “rest” days were meant for us to get stronger at the gym.

What do you like about cheerleading and dance? Are they similar?

I like that dance and cheerleading both focus a lot on teamwork that requires self-determination and perseverance. Unlike other forms of competitive sport, your sense of achievement and worth is not determined by another competitor.

The only opponent that you have is really just yourself. Performing a flawless routine as a team would make us feel like winners. Our ranking became irrelevant. This way of approaching competition and goal setting made me enjoy my time in both dance and cheerleading.

You are the show producer for the National Day Parade (NDP) in 2018 and also for this year. How do you keep up a regular fitness regime while working on NDP?

While working on NDP, I had to juggle an irregular schedule due to the large amount of time spent on meetings and rehearsals. It was really difficult to maintain a regular fitness regime so I had to keep things flexible. I took any available window to hit the gym in between meetings. Workouts were short but efficient. They were also good intermittent breaks for me to get my mind off things.

Did you ever not feel confident about yourself?

I have always felt insecure growing up as I was a really skinny kid with a narrow build. I remember some classmates used to call me nicknames like Chopsticks and Little ET, but other than that, fortunately there wasn’t any bullying.

How did you become more confident?

I believe that the step I took with dance taught me how to get out of my comfort zone, to do something new and to inspire change. The following years were transformative as I became more
confident to take on new challenges and to reinvent myself.

Are you satisfied with your body now?

I’m definitely more confident and satisfied with my physical appearance now. Over the years, I’ve learnt to appreciate the hard work and effort that I’ve spent on achieving my goals and to become less critical of myself, in a good way.

Do you ever get any comments about your body?

I do get comments from old friends about how much I’ve bulked up and receive occasional encouragement on social media. Of course, there are some who are more critical, pointing out areas of improvement.

I learnt the importance of filtering and evaluating comments; after all, it is important for one to be comfortable with how you look and feel at all times.