By M. Rameshon
Date : 25 Nov 2024, Monday
The author has a personal best of 2hr 24min 22sec for marathon, Chiengmai South East Asian Games, 1995, he also has a time of 2hrs 34min 02sec marathon time - Singapore International Marathon 1994, local time)
PE and Sports Science (Bsc (Hons) Loughborough university of Technology -1994)
Masters In Education (University of Western Australia, 2005-2008)
Mr Chia Hern Kok
I met this gentleman a year back and would like to write about him. He is 80 years plus, currently. I had an informal interview with him, a year back.
He is a Chinese, bespectacled person who looks quite stout for his age, looking strong with fine toned muscles. I knew him from year 1990 onwards. Back then, at that time, I was including coaching to my interest in running, as I was more interested in coaching rather than being a top runner in Singapore, instead, then.
Mr Chia, was from Commonwealth Secondary School, in the past. He was also heading his department of Physical Education. He was about age 50 and was about to retire at age 55. After retirement, he has been seen running, doing workouts with fellow running mates.
In the past, he was seen motivating and encouragimg his teen male and female runners. Moreover, he used to run with the students. They all look up to him.
He brought them for races. The students took him more of a fatherly figure and his runners were disciplined. I was more impressed with his running, as he was not only teaching, but also spearheading his Physical Education dept as the Head of PE Department. He was a teacher-in-charge cum coach as well for his team of runners, besides teaching some subjects in the school. A dynamic person indeed. Later, he retired at age 55 and was focusing on active aging.
Not only he kept himself focusing on fitness and health, but he also competed in his age group, locally and internationally. I used to see him with some working teachers and some retired teachers and an active principal of a school, running, doing age appropriate workouts on CCAB track at Bukit Timah, Singapore.
He can be very encouraging to the masters, as he has been consistent and has a continued history, without a break, on running.
Having spoken to him, very recently, in 2023, I will be doing an interview on him, shortly. He still does his running at least 3 times per week. I will get back to everyone on this. So, stay tuned on this.
Note
In the meantime, after Covid 19, my observation is, there are people who are seeking for ways to run and reaping its benefits as well. I shall discuss on the benefits first, as people like some goody stuff you get from running and understand as it will make them to appreciate and enable and empower one to do more. So, fellow runners, I will write asap on this. Do watch out for it!!!
