Building upon the brand's FLY HUMAN FLY tagline, Jeri's story embodies every intricacy of the HOKA brand story
"Do not go where the path may lead. Go instead where there is no path and leave a trail."
American essayist Ralph Waldo Emerson said it best, humans were made to leave legacies.
And that's what HOKA Singapore explored in its latest 'Born to Fly' campaign, telling the story of Singapore's ‘First Lady of Ultramarathon’ Jeri Chua in a brand-new campaign video released on 6th December.
Building upon the brand's FLY HUMAN FLY tagline, Jeri's story embodies every intricacy of the HOKA brand story - celebrating joyous moments while reiterating that no matter who you are and whatever your background, you're 'Born to Fly'.
Having weathered many storms and conquered countless mountains, Jeri is no stranger to the story of overcoming adversity. Yet her toughest climb proved to be within her own body.
Sharing her moments of triumph and trials through an interview laced with shots that captured the raw emotions running evokes within her, Jeri shares her story of being diagnosed with Adrenal Fatigue.
As an endurance athlete who thrives through sports, not being able to race for her was akin to losing a limb.
"I went through all the stages of grief, from denial, to anger, to acceptance. Getting through adrenal fatigue was one of the biggest challenges I’ve ever had to face," she shares with Sportplus.sg.
"It was an extremely difficult time for me, having to accept that I couldn’t do all the things I loved, because it would make my condition even worse. It took me over six years to recover, in which time I wasn’t able to race or train. Even running 5km would leave me so fatigued that I’d be in bed for a couple of days."
A comeback seemed like a shot in the dark, but instead of merely gazing into the abyss, Jeri instead lit the way for her community.
Having founded Red Dot Running Company in 2017, Jeri expanded her vision in 2024 by establishing The Pace, a lifestyle store that continues to empower Singapore's running and ultra community.
Through both ventures, she has brought invaluable knowledge and previously inaccessible gear to local runners — fulfilling the very mission that inspired the creation of Red Dot Running Co. in the first place.
"It was tough and demoralising not being able to run for a while, so instead I decided to focus on the community that had given me so much. Whether it's gear or shoes, knowledge and experience, I just really wanted to help as much as I could. Knowing that I can inspire and empower others is the best reward for me," she shared in the HOKA campaign video.
Her belief in HOKA's 'Born to Fly' is strong, and was what kept her going when nothing else did.
Reflecting on how the campaign narrative empowered her in her recovery journey, she shares: "It’s remembering that this too, shall pass. That I hadn’t yet reached my full potential. I treated it like the longest ultra I’ve ever embarked on, and that really helped me at my lowest points."
"It’s about the innate ability we all have - to break through perceived limits and embrace your full potential. Crushing your goals and exceeding expectations. Don’t settle, because the ability to fly is in us all. Reach for the stars."
Jeri however, never just reached for the stars, she landed on them. Amongst the many trails she's blazed — figuratively and literally — she was the first ever Singaporean to qualify for the IRONMAN World Championships in Kona, back in 1998 before becoming an ultramarathoner, which she shared in the 'Born to Fly' campaign video as her means of proving her tenacity.
Jeri shares that there are pivotal moments in every ultra she's ever done.
Whether it's helping a runner who'd fallen off a cliff in dark stormy conditions, narrowly avoiding an alpine cattle stampede in a hailstorm, or left to fend for herself lost in the Gobi desert, she's only ever had two options:
"Suck it up and soldier on, or succumb to your fears and weaknesses, and quit. I’ve also learnt to know when to quit, that it’s not necessarily a bad thing - live to fight another day."
And as she flew closer and closer to the sun, overcoming any sort of adversity meant greater joy, which she so aptly described in her own words of the 'Born to Fly' campaign feature, “freedom”.
"Summiting a mountain just as the sun is rising - that’s a moment like no other. The hours of climbing, pushing myself, the pain, exertion and fatigue, it all melts away when the horizon opens up before me, bathed in that incredible sunrise glow. It’s as if I’m renewed, with fresh resolve and energy," she gushes about the moments that made her feel on top of the world.
"What makes me the happiest in my career is the amazing people I’ve met and incredible experiences I’ve had. I’ve been truly fortunate to have been able to race all over the world, to meet so many inspiring people, these are the people and memories I will treasure always."
On what she would say to others struggling to empower themselves, she says,"have faith in yourself, look to where you want to be and reach for it.
Surround yourself with the people who love and support you, don’t be afraid to ask for help, and don’t be reluctant to accept it. Sometimes we all get to a point where we can’t get through life’s challenges alone. And there’ll be a chance to do the same for others."
With the video beginning with her why, and taking the audience through a journey of one's true capabilities found from within, Jeri then ends it by calling out to the audience to join her on a running journey towards breaking one's own barriers.
In doing so, one of Singapore’s most influential figures in the running community transforms her audience into their own source of inspiration, reiterating that they too were 'Born to Fly'.
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