Page 2 - DSA-Newsletter-2017-Jan
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Interview with Welson Sim, Malaysian NationdaswlimSawcadiemmymsdnebrhd (dsa)

The training focus should extend to developing mental strength...

stages, and had been through more of          perform. As a child competing, he says     would be the 2018 Asian Games, where
less the same rigours of training with total  he never felt any pressure to win and      he looks at winning 4 medals. Then are
commitment to their sport.                    probably that allowed him to excel.        the bigger arenas of 2018 Commonwealth
                                              Sim feels that what swim parents today     games and of course the 2020 Tokyo
Swimming starts at a young age                fail to realize is that children need and  Olympics. Sim would be facing off with
and progresses naturally                      expect moral support from parents and      another champion from Singapore,
                                              not to set undue expectation on them.      Joseph Schooling, who has been making
Looking back, Sim recalls learning to         He emphasizes that parents need to         waves in Asian swimming recently.
swim and starting off swimming classes        trust the coach and the coach will know
at the age of 10 years though he had          what’s best for the swimmer. Just as the   90% Mental toughness, 10%
been exposed to water as young as 7           backbone protects the body’s vitals and    physical training
years when he enjoyed playing in the          helps in making the body stand upright,
water. Displaying a perhaps natural-          the coach ‘has the back’ of the swimmer    Sim says that one of the important
born skill, Sim was remarkable in that        while helping him/her attain their         aspects of a becoming a champion is
he started swimming competitively             potential.                                 the ability to control your mind and
just a year later at the age of 11 years,                                                your mental toughness. When you are
taking part in the then President Cup         The best is yet to come…                   in preparation mode, your focus is on
in Sarawak. Sim was a not much of a                                                      the physical ability and about 10% on
planner and took one Meet and one race        Sim is just at the beginning of a stellar  mental strength, whereas at a Meet, only
at time, looking to do his best at each       path of achievements and the next step     about 10% is on your physical ability
Meet and move on to the next higher           is the 2017 SEA Games, to be held in KL,   as your training will automatically take
level. The incentives and sponsorship that    Malaysia. Sim says he aims for 3 Gold      over. The focus becomes more on mental
came with the Meet titles proved enough       at the Games, for the 200m 400m and        toughness and that is where champions
motivation to propel Sim to higher goals.     1500m freestyle events. Following this     are made, to overcome the tremendous
Winning was the means to an end, the                                                     pressure of performing at international
end which promised a better future for                                                   levels. Sim says, for young upcoming
Sim, and his constant commitment in                                                      champions, the training focus should
training meant that he has very little time                                              extend to developing mental strength also
for the usual thrills of growing up. As an                                               through the teaching of adequate sports
athlete in any sport, sacrifices have to be                                              psychology and similar sciences.
made to achieve anything big.
                                                                                         Always wake up smiling…
Moral support and trust paves
the way to success                                                                       Lastly, Sim’s message for young
                                                                                         swimmers is to stay strong and never
For Sim, his greatest mentor and support                                                 give up along the way, to achieve your
has been his mother, who right from                                                      goals. As students, swimmers should also
taking him for his first swimming lessons,                                               try to balance studies and sports so that
has been behind him every step of                                                        you can be in the best possible position
the way. She has made unsurpassed                                                        for your future. Champions are not made
sacrifices ensuring that Sim always got                                                  in a day, there will tough days and there
the support he needed. Sim feels that                                                    will be better days, but remember to
unlike today, parents were not much                                                      always wake up smiling.
aware of the methods of training and
never put pressure on their children to

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