PJ is a
true blue ACSian. He has represented Singapore in swimming at every
level up to and including the 1996 Atlanta Olympics. At the age of 16,
he entered Harvard University where he wrote his thesis on Singapore’s
racial policy and graduated with a B.A. cum Laude in East Asian
Studies. A Rhodes Scholar, he also read for a second B.A. in Modern
History and Politics at Oxford University. In September, he will
return to Oxford to read for a Doctorate of Philosophy in Modern
History.
What is it that
drives the talented PJ to accomplish such a daunting mission to swim
across the English Channel, knowing very well that he has to face the
icy cold water, strong currents, sea creatures such as jellyfish, and
shipping traffic in the open ocean? We chatted with PJ via email
before his solo attempt, and here’s what he shared with us:
Echo: Can you share
with our readers the reasons why you are doing the Cross-English
Channel swim?
PJ:
Firstly, I want to remind Singaporeans that
great things can be achieved by anyone, regardless of
who or where they are. Our Prime
Minister has encouraged us young Singaporeans to stand up and be
counted to achieve our dreams for Singapore. I am excited to respond
to that call.
Secondly, as an ACSian, Rhodes Scholar and
Singaporean, I am living up to the social responsibility of raising
funds for the Methodist Schools Foundation (MSF) and Action for Aids (AfA).
I am a firm believer in the power of education to enhance and elevate
the well being of society. Specifically, I have benefited greatly from
the Methodist education I received in ACS. It made me what I am today
and I wish to help to ensure the propagation of its educational
mission and help more children to have access to it.
With
the AfA, I feel that we are not doing enough in Singapore to recognize
and combat the spread of HIV and AIDS. The AfA is a volunteer-run
organization that gets minimal support; it is entirely self-funded but
continues to do extremely important work. It is the scrappy underdog
of local charities and I am proud to be in its corner.
Echo: Being a Rhodes Scholar and having represented Singapore at
the 1996 Atlanta Olympics, how did you manage to excel academically
and in sports at the same time? Can you share with our readers your
success formula?
PJ: I think it’s misleading to divide the
two. I would say I succeeded academically because of sports, and
vice-versa. Sports taught me discipline, perseverance, gave me health
and energy; my studies taught me to think critically and to approach
problems logically. You need both to do well in life. And the top
universities know this – I couldn’t have gotten into Harvard without
an excellent CCA record, neither could I have gotten the Rhodes
scholarship. I am not particularly talented, but I was lucky enough to
have a father who understood the importance of having this balance in
life.
In terms of strategies, the first is
focus:
I did what I had to do, when I had to do it, and didn’t get
distracted. The second is ambition: I thought big, and never
let my limitations get in the way of what I wanted. Thirdly,
perseverance: success is what you get after you’ve failed enough.
You cannot succeed without failing a lot first, and you just have to
keep going until everything works out.
Echo: What is involved in your training for the Cross-English
Channel swim?
PJ:
The training for the crossing is arduous. Besides
training in swimming pools to work on endurance, I have to acclimatise
to the cold water in Dover to build up resistance and increase
stamina. Then before I am allowed to make the Channel attempt, I have
to provide evidence of a continuous six-hour swim in water
below 60°F or 16°C.
Swimming in cold water can affect swimmers adversely. The first time I
trained in water that was 14°C, one of my teammates suffered memory
loss by the end of an hour-long session, another shivered
uncontrollably for two hours after, and I myself suffered from a loss
of equilibrium. During a relay swim across the Channel in the
inter-varsity games between Oxford and Cambridge universities which I
took part in, one of our swimmers became delirious and incoherent
after her one-hour leg in the sea. The danger from hypothermia is very
real.
Echo: What normally goes through your mind during exhausting swims
such as the Crossing?
PJ:
I try to focus on keeping a regular rhythm. Often I sing to myself,
which also helps with the rhythm. I break down my swim into short,
manageable chunks: one stroke at a time, and I don’t think any further
than the next break that I get to pause and have a drink.
Echo: Can you tell us about your school days and how ACS has
helped shape your life?
PJ:
ACS imparted me many things, but there are three in particular I would
like to highlight. First and most important is the
balance in life. I
cannot stress how important it is to have both a sport and to study
hard. You cannot live a complete life without having both. No other
school understands that as well as ACS. The school bent backwards to
help me accommodate my swimming with my studies. They understood that
a strong mind in a weak body is crippled as surely as a weak mind in a
strong body.
Secondly, the moral education at ACS infused in me the responsibility
of setting a positive example for others to follow, to be mindful of
our actions and make the world a better place.
Thirdly is critical thinking. I was always
encouraged to think for myself, and always reminded that knowledge is
useless without the ability to understand it and use it.
I
am proud to be an ACSian. I’ve been all over the world, lived in
four continents, and studied at the two greatest and most famous
universities in the world (Harvard and Oxford). Having met many
brilliant and intelligent people from all over the world, I can
testify that having been to ACS puts me right on par with any of them.
An ACS education is, without a doubt, the best in the world, and
anyone who has been to ACS has nothing to fear from anyone, anywhere.
We tend to elevate the unknown precisely because it is unknown, but
let me make it clear: the best education anyone can have, the best
education that any parent can give their children anywhere in the
world … is an ACS education.
Echo: What advice
can you offer to our students on how they too can make use of their
talents for the benefit of the community in general?
PJ: Just to get up
and do it! The most important thing is to get started. Think about
ways in which you can utilize your talents, or what you enjoy, for the
greater good. Let your imagination flow. Also remember that every
little bit counts, so don’t worry about how big your impact is. Just
get going.