If you are keen and have queries, please contact Coach Rameshon at 9100 4369 or you can email him at m.rameshon@gmail.com or swift.rameshon@gmail.com. Please refer to website http://flexifitness.com.sg (for more information on him and his programmes)
By Rameshon
Bsc (Hons) Degree in Physical Education, Loughborough University (1992-1994)
Masters in Education (University of Western Australia, 2005-2008)
The other counterpart for Greatest Female Contributor to the Hwa Institution Middle and Long Distance Events is Pamela Chia.
As I know Jeffrey, he is one of the humble person I have come across. He does not boast about his achievement to anyone and does not put down anyone. He was valiant and versatile athlete in middle as well as long distance events. I shall write about this gentleman because of his achievements in running as well as in studies. In 2007, Jeffrey and another female sports figure were featured in the Chinese Newspaper, straightaway, a day after the release of the GCE 'A' Levels.
Over time, I shall be writing a story on him so as to inspire the young to aspire and grow. My experiences with him was one of the most memorable in my coaching years.
How did you feel when you were featured in the Chinese Newspaper as one of the two excellent students to be able to balance studies well as a Hwa Chong Inst athlete?
It was as much my honour as those who have helped me along the way – people like my coach, Mr Rameshon, my team-mates who went through all the training with me in rain or shine, my family who’s always there to support me, and my classmates who always offered to help whenever I don’t understand what’s going on in lectures. I was happy that the Chinese Newspaper did an article on us because it would help students and parents understand that tough and demanding sports training (like Track and Field and Taekwondo) do not necessarily hamper academic excellence.
How did your parents feel about this upon being featured?
They were proud that I did well. I didn’t ask them how they feel actually. But I guess it must be quite gratifying to see your son do well in the things he likes to do. They are always happy that I am pursuing something I am passionate about. To see me being featured, it was a form of recognition for me and my family, but that is just a bonus.
Which was your best race ever, the memorable one?
Of all my races, I think the one that I will always remember is my secondary 3 National Cross Country race at Sentosa. It is memorable for many reasons. Firstly, it’s the one and only time National Cross Country was held at Sentosa. Besides, because the route actually contains a 2km stretch of sand, we had gruelling training sessions on Siloso Beach and Palawan Beach and these training sessions made the entire cross country season all the more memorable. The race itself was the epitomy of mental and physical torture. Being a sec 3 against sec 4 athletes from other schools, I was not a clear favourite for the race. But I didn’t expect RI athletes to be that strong so when I saw 6 of them going out hard and fast immediately after the horn, I was shocked. That threw me off for a while. That was when I needed to stay focus on what I had to do, instead of what others were doing. So that’s the first mental challenge. The next challenge was physical as well as mental as the front pack, including myself, hit the sand. I had never raced with such a strong and big front pack. I remember it was at least 6 or 7 of us. And we were all next to each other. But as we endured the lactate buildup due to the sandy stretch, the number dwindled and by the time we exited Siloso Beach, there were only two of us left – Ee Ghim and I. At that point, I was no longer thinking. My mind was totally focused on one thought – stick with him. So I stuck with that thought all the way. At about 1km away, there was a small fork in the route. And Ee Ghim chose the shorter end – it wasn’t cheating – but I chose to stick with the original route. But I didn’t let him get off with it. At that last part of the race, none of us made the move and we were still neck to neck. But as we came into the carpark (which was maybe 100m from the corner before the end point), I started to let him slip away. For a while I was contented with getting the silver medal. But then when I rounded the corner, he still hadn’t crossed the line and was within reach. So I took the chance and pounced. And with that slightest of margin, I clinched the championship. Looking back, it’s not so much because I won that it was memorable. It was the entire race, from the start to the end. It was the fact that I had to summon every ounce of mental and physical strength in me just to keep me going and to keep myself in the fight. It was this race that taught me the crucial ingredient for success – physical and more importantly, mental strength and preparation. This was what made it memorable.
Which race do you consider the toughest?
Races are never easy. All were tough in their own rights. When the field was strong and I was racing against faster people, it was more physical toughness than mental toughness. But when the field was weak and I was the clear favourite, I did not have it easy either because there would be this nagging fear in me that something would go wrong and I would lose the race when I should have clearly won it. It’s all psychological sometimes. If I really have to say which is toughest, I would say it’s the 1500m for my J1 National Track and Field finals. I was clearly not the favourite for the race because my last win in a 1500m was ages ago in secondary 2. But on the final day of National Track and Field, with crowd support from our individual schools, it was anybody’s race. So when I rounded the last bend for the final 200m, I decided to go for gold. And for a moment, I was in the lead and I thought I really could get it. And as we neared the 100m mark, Madankumar and Ahmad Nabil came from behind and began their last sprint. Clearly, my speed was not their match. I gave everything I had in my legs and arms but still, they pulled away. That was one of the races I was not disappointed to lose because I knew that I had given it my best shot. This was one of the physically toughest races.
On the other hand, I would say the J2 National Cross Country was also one of the toughest in the psychological sense. This was one race that I ran alone without the help from fellow competitors, all the while keeping faith that I would be able to catch up from behind. Let me explain. The favourite for the race was Darshanat from Innova Junior College and he was clearly out of my reach. And so I knew my best shot was a silver medal. There were Ying Ren, Ee Ghim and I vying for the same silver medal. I knew they would go out hard and fast with Darshan and try to outlast each other. But my coach and I had a different plan. We decided that I should stick to my own pace – one that would take me to Ee Ghim and Ying Ren by the end of the race so that I would eventually be the last one laughing. But that would take a lot of faith and discipline to keep pace, and to keep believing that I would really catch up with the two of them. I finally caught up with Ying Ren and overtook him with about 1km to go. The 3.6km before that was constant self-assurance and self-talk. That had to be one of the most psychologically draining races.
Do you have any top athlete that you consider as a role model?
I would say Haile Gebrselassie is my role model because he is a humble person even though he has achieved many great feats. His amiable and humorous personality is also very charming. To be a top athlete is one thing. To be a top athlete who keeps coming back for more challenges is another. Haile has been competing at the highest level of long distance running for many years but he never seems to be sick of running and pushing himself hard. He helped me see that the competition is not out there, but within me. The goal is to push our own physical and mental boundaries.
What advice would you like to give to youngsters who want to win?
I have received so many valuable pieces of advice that I would pass on to the next generation but the most important advice is that long distance running is 10% physical and 90% psychological. And the psychological game starts from day 1 of training and not just during the race itself. If you have the confidence in yourself and your coach, the mental resilience to keep trying, the hunger to win, the discipline to stay the course and be focused, then it’s more than half the battle won. It’s easy to say “I want to win” but it’s not that easy to say “I want to put in all the hard work and sacrifices”. The strongest mind will prepare you for the toughest training and with that combination, I am sure victory is not too far away.
What goes on in your mind before you run the races?
When I was running for Chinese High and then Hwa Chong Institution, I always reminded myself that the race is for the school. When I reminded myself that it’s not for my own glory or achievement, I was more relaxed. I would also think of all the training that I had done so that I reminded myself not to let all that go to waste. To see myself as doing something for the school gave me more strength and helped me find that extra ‘gear’ when I need to. If I thought of doing it for my own glory, I tended to give up easily. Now that I no longer run for an organisation, I think of my friends and family who are concerned and supportive of me.
How many gold medals have you won for the nat sch cross country and for track?
5 for National Track. 2 for National Cross.
How is your training going on for now?
Training is no longer as tough and disciplined as it used to be in a team. With a whole array of latent injuries, I find it quite impractical and insensible to push as hard as I used to since it might just make matters worse. I am trying to maintain a high baseline of fitness so that I am still able to participate in competitive running any time I need to. Personally, I am now able to make a distinction between training and just running. Training is more goal-oriented. I would like to see myself as just enjoying my runs and the occasional workout sessions.
Note:
By Narayanan
Rameshon has taught in Hwa Chong Institution, plus several schools, and Republic Polytechnic as well. He has won many accolades and he was awarded Merit Award for 1991 marathon performance in breaking the national record of Singapore, at that time. He has made 22 male athletes to do marathon in sub-3hrs. He has made 7 female runners to do sub-4 hours for marathon, as well. He was inducted to the ‘Roll of Honour’ by the then College of Physical Education, organised by Singapore Olympic Academy, in 1998, for breaking the National record repeatedly 4 times, till he did 2hr 24min 22sec).
He also has a Coaching group and he trains them on Tuesdays and Thursdays, 7pm at Botanic Gardens. Those interested can call him at 91004369 for coaching assistance, to improve performance. There is also personal training that he does for many in a week. You can e-mail him at swift.rameshon@gmail.com.
