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)
Sheryl Loh (08S73) - From Tennis to Champion in Passion Run (Duo Category for Women)
Sheryl Loh did her primary education at Nanhua Primary School. Later on, for her secondary education, she went to Raffles Girls School. Subsequently, Sheryl came over to Hwa Chong Institution (College Section) using sports as an advantage. Right now, Sheryl is waiting for an interview from Monash University as she has applied for the medicine course.
When she was in Hwa Chong Institution (College Section), it was found that she came to Hwa Chong Institution (College Section) through Direct School Admission (DSA). She was in a tennis CCA for 2 years. For the year 2008 and 2009, the tennis school team came in 3rd runners up for the National Schools Tennis Championships.
Sheryl Loh in Action during a Tennis Competition
Just before the GCE 'A' Levels (2009), Sheryl was running a few days per week. After her GCE 'A' Levels, she has been running daily. This interview is given so as to encourage, motivate and inspire runners to balance studies and sports.
Interview Questions
What is your CCA in the Hwa Chong Institution (College Section)?
I was in the girls’ tennis team, under the supervision of Ms Lum Siew Chin and coach Sharin.
What were you doing before running the Passion Run 50km a month before the GCE 'A' Levels?
Before the GCE A levels, I was primarily focused on my studies because I wanted to obtain straight As. However, I found that exercising regularly 3-5 times a week gave my energy levels a boost and enabled me to concentrate better when I studied. Due to time constraints and lack of training partners, I hung up my tennis racquet for a while and picked up running as a form of exercise. Although challenging initially, running was enjoyable due to the release of endorphins which relieved my anxiety during the stressful exams period.
What are your scores for the GCE 'A' Levels?
I obtained 8As in Mathematics, Physics, Chemistry, Biology, Project Work, General Paper, Higher Chinese and Economics
What made you train for the Passion Run 50km?
My love for running and the satisfaction I derived after a long run prompted me to increase my weekly mileage in preparation for the 50km passion run. I remember I really looked forward to weekly long runs with my ex-classmate and partner Emelyne because we used the opportunity to keep in touch since we were no longer seeing each other on a daily basis as we did in HC. We also found that running longer distances between 15-25km seemed a lot less strenuous when we ran together as opposed to when we did our runs alone.
How did you train for this race?
Prior to signing up for the race, in January and February, I was clocking a weekly mileage of 60km, an average of 10km per day. After signing up for the race, I increased my mileage to around 75-80km a week. I did long runs with my partner Emelyne on the weekends. While I enjoyed sprinting as a tennis player, I soon realised that attempting to run fast for long distances between 10-15km left me too tired to finish strongly and painlessly. Thus I focused mainly on achieving distance rather than speed targets, preferring to run slowly initially and speeding up towards the end when I felt I could manage it.
How did you feel when you finished the race?
I was very tired by the 18km mark and spent the last 7km chasing Emelyne and a few other female runners down the final stretches of the race. So I was happy just to be able to complete the distance with Emelyne still within sight, and couldn’t believe that I’d run a time of 2h10mins as I had only managed 2h36mins on my last 25km run and had aimed to go under 2h30mins only for the race itself.
How did you feel coming in as the champions in the Duo Women Category?
It was a pleasant surprise as Emelyne and I did not expect to come in champion. In fact, we were about to leave the competition venue when the runners up for the 25km individual category was announced and I realised that was the lady we had overtaken during the race. So we decided to head to the organiser’s tent to check our placing. We were delighted when the results were collated and we saw that we had won the Duo category. We had had a lot of fun running together as a team and winning was just a bonus.
What were your friends and parents feeling towards achieving success in this race?
My parents were as surprised as I was about the victory as they were not aware of how much I had been training for it. But they were overjoyed as well and invited Emelyne over for a celebratory dinner after the race.
What word of advice would you give to runners who want to study and train?
As someone who is still a novice when it comes to running, my advice probably wouldn’t count for a lot. XD But for what it’s worth, I believe that the key to balancing studies and sports is to have passion for what you are doing and the determination to see your goals through. Set reasonable expectations for yourself but remain focused on achieving them, and seek help from your family, friends, coaches and teachers if you run into difficulties. I feel very fortunate to have been surrounded by very supportive classmates, teammates and family and for the excellent tutelage of my teachers and coaches in my time as a student-athlete in Hwa Chong Institution (College Section).
Is there any other race that you would like to run, with Passion Run as your first successful race?
I have signed up for the SAFRA army half marathon in September and might sign up for the Standard Chartered Marathon in December if I do not have family commitments during that period.
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.
