“ I only recently joined FWCC in early August 2023, with no prior experience in distance running or track whatsoever. I had no intention of joining track, but after my NAPFA 2.4km last year, I realised I had a talent for running.

My good friend Haley introduced me to FWCC soon after and I went to my first training completely unprepared for what was waiting for me. When I told the coach that I was a distancer, he had to ask again to make sure I was not mistaken. My running form was poor and I got dropped by the others during workouts, which made me doubt if track was even worth trying. Even though my first training was a disaster, I kept wanting to come for each training as something about the coaching and environment in FWCC gave me constant determination and drive to improve.

A problem I faced when I started track and still sometimes do is that my school's sports standards are quite low and I have literally nobody to train with during CCA or school breaks. When I am not attending FWCC trainings, I would either be doing long runs or short workouts at the school track alone, which was not very fun. Thankfully, there were many people at FWCC that I could train with and talk to every session. Coming to training after a long day of school is usually my favourite part of my day, as I can do what I like doing most (running) in a home-like environment.

During trainings, the coaches supervise our workouts and provide personalized feedback. I was all alone during my first training as I had no friends but coach was there to familiarise me with each warmup drill while explaining the technique clearly. I was afraid it would be awkward because I did not know anyone, but the coaches are very social and sometimes funny which I really liked. I improved at a rapid pace thanks to the coaching, and soon I started to prepare for my first race.

I have joined many fun races while representing Team Fabian, but my favorite one was in November last year. It was the 10th Club Zoom Kindred Spirit Series, also my first official race, and the event was 1 mile. There were many NSG finalists in my heat and I was certain I would get destroyed. I was feeling nervous and scared, but at that time, coach Kabilan was there to calm me down and tell me that feeling nervous before a race was normal, and that it would all be gone when the race started. I took his advice to heart and somehow ended up winning first, which meant a lot to me as I then understood that I had a strong passion for track and racing was something I really enjoyed doing. After the race, Coach Fabian gave me a review of my race performance and highlighted my key areas of improvement. He taught me how to control my pace and how to race smart. Every race is a step towards perfecting my technique, and the coaches would always provide the insight I need.

After months of arduous training and preparation, all the effort began to pay off, as I started winning more and more races and achieving timings I thought I would never be able to touch. My most recent race was cross country NSG 2024, and this was probably the best day of my life because it was also the toughest race I have had. I ended up winning first in B Division with a time of 16:56 for a distance of 5.06km. This meant more than a medal to me as not only had I gotten a massive PB, but I also had the first-hand experience of overcoming all doubt and struggle within my body during a race.  

Overall, I am forever grateful and glad I joined FWCC as it has allowed me to improve not only in terms of fitness, but also as an individual. I got to meet many new people that I could easily open up to, and share my passion with. I spend some time everyday wondering just how much I would be missing out on should I not have joined FWCC, and cannot thank the coaches and peers enough for the support and memories along the journey. “