Amidst a jam-packed schedule and juggling three sports, Ong Xin Min finds time to train for her first full 42.195km race in the Sydney Marathon this September
Coaching tennis. Pursuing a pilates certificate. Pacing runners for her run club. You name it, Ong Xin Min's probably doing it. Now, the bubbly 27 year-old's newest endeavour is training for her first full marathon in Sydney, Australia this September 15th.
Influenced by her local run club, Fast and Free Run Club (FFRC) as one of its pacers, otherwise known as Toasties, Xin Min — the experienced half-marathoner chose Sydney Marathon presented by ASICS as not only her first ever full marathon, but also her first overseas race.
“I was actually contemplating on running the Sydney Marathon at the start of this year as I knew I had quite a few commitments coming up. My friends, the FFRC Toasties, urged me to take part as we could push through our training block and complete our first full marathon together,” she shared.
As ecstatic as they are about running together, the group is equally as excited about the prospects of the race becoming the seventh World Marathon Major.
“I think it’s an exciting time for the running community! It’s an amazing opportunity to witness history being created. It's a magical feeling knowing that Sydney Marathon might become the seventh World Major the year after we run it,” Xin Min added.
The 27-year-old made a big decision by leaving her full-time corporate 9-5 recently to pursue a career as a pilates instructor. Already a tennis coach on the side, Xin Min’s pure love for all three activities kept her entranced on achieving her goals.
“Tennis has always been part of my life,” gushed Xin Min, who has been playing the racquet sport since the age of eight. “I’ve never stopped playing and I’m always looking for ways to improve my game and better myself.”
In contrast, she has only been into pilates for about two years. The serenity the mind-body exercise brings however, left a mark on her like no other sport has before.
Instead of simply participating in the activities, Xin Min’s passion for helping others is what led her to share her knowledge of the two sports with those around her.
“I would have my own tennis coach to thank as he was the one who guided me into coaching a few years back. I realised that I loved coaching and seeing my students improve over time brought me joy,” she smiled proudly.
“Being a pilates instructor allows me to help a bigger group of people including the injured, pregnant women or the elderly and tweak the exercises according to their needs. It's the excitement of knowing that I will be able to help my future clients move better, feel better and become stronger that motivates me to pursue this path.”
Juggling three normal activities may already seem tough for most Singaporeans, but juggling three physically demanding activities requires an insurmountable amount of motivation. Though she admits the difficulties, Xin Min’s drive is evident.
“I guess it’s about knowing your current commitments, balancing what’s important to you and how your actions will help you in the future,” she shared.
“I wouldn’t define them as challenges, but more of what I had to sacrifice in order to pursue what I'm currently working towards. I would say I had to cut back on my rest days, and time with close friends and my family but I’m especially thankful that I have a very understanding and supportive partner. Knowing he’s behind me makes this journey much easier.”
The other FFRC toasties and club captains who are also Sydney-bound have been keeping Xin Min on track. Despite the intensity of a marathon training block consisting of long runs and gruelling intervals, the group has never failed to keep pushing each other.
“The running community has always been encouraging and positive. It drives a person to want to keep going and not give up,” praised the 27-year-old.
Come September, as they edge closer to the finish line, it will become clear that every sacrifice Xin Min made were merely hurdles in her pursuit of happiness.
And that’s what she’s looking forward to most in the capital city of New South Wales.
“Saying 'we did it' once we cross the finish line. I’ll look back at the end of the year and know that I've achieved something for myself.”
Signed up for this year's Sydney Marathon presented by ASICS ? Singapore based Sydney Marathon participants can enjoy exclusive partner discounts - find out more here.
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