<TABLE border=0 cellSpacing=0 cellPadding=0 width="100%"><TBODY><TR>Undercurrent was strong at fatal triathlon race
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<!-- START OF : div id="storytext"--><!-- more than 4 paragraphs -->IT IS a very sad moment for all sports lovers as we mourn the death of Deutsche Telekom Asia CEO Calvin Lee at Sunday's Osim Singapore International Triathlon. To his family, we offer our sincere condolences.
According to media reports, the sea condition was relatively calm. As someone who participated in the race, I can attest to the fact that the condition was anything but calm. The undercurrent was very strong. On the leg back, I was repeatedly pushed against the guide ropes. I started getting cramps and almost panicked, but fortunately I relied on past experiences to keep my calm and re-aligned my sighting target.
I urge the organisers, the Triathlon Association of Singapore, to focus its training clinics on open-water swimming techniques. In fact, make it mandatory for first-time participants to take part in an open-water swimming clinic. Thus, a first-timer will be able to have a real-life experience of how it is like swimming in the open water.
I wrote the words 'Fear Nothing' on my arm for Sunday's race. It was to remind me that my long-time fear of swimming in the sea was unfounded. Sadly, Mr Lee's passing is another wakeup call for weekend warriors like me. In our quest for self-fulfilment, we forget that if we fail, the people who get hurt the most are the ones that we love the most.
Seah Liang Chiang
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<!-- START OF : div id="storytext"--><!-- more than 4 paragraphs -->IT IS a very sad moment for all sports lovers as we mourn the death of Deutsche Telekom Asia CEO Calvin Lee at Sunday's Osim Singapore International Triathlon. To his family, we offer our sincere condolences.
According to media reports, the sea condition was relatively calm. As someone who participated in the race, I can attest to the fact that the condition was anything but calm. The undercurrent was very strong. On the leg back, I was repeatedly pushed against the guide ropes. I started getting cramps and almost panicked, but fortunately I relied on past experiences to keep my calm and re-aligned my sighting target.
I urge the organisers, the Triathlon Association of Singapore, to focus its training clinics on open-water swimming techniques. In fact, make it mandatory for first-time participants to take part in an open-water swimming clinic. Thus, a first-timer will be able to have a real-life experience of how it is like swimming in the open water.
I wrote the words 'Fear Nothing' on my arm for Sunday's race. It was to remind me that my long-time fear of swimming in the sea was unfounded. Sadly, Mr Lee's passing is another wakeup call for weekend warriors like me. In our quest for self-fulfilment, we forget that if we fail, the people who get hurt the most are the ones that we love the most.
Seah Liang Chiang
