By Chelza Chong
Entrepreneur, athlete, student- Yes, Yes & YES! Calvin is all of the above. Many of you would have known him as the “Milo Boy”, heard of him as the national sprinter who has or seen him on television programs doing us proud with his outstanding performances in the competitions that he has taken part in. Yet, how many of you know that not only is he a national athlete, but also, an entrepreneur and a student too? Besides being a student of NTU’s Sports Science and Management, Calvin is a pretty successful entrepreneur who not only manages 1, but 3 businesses. He is the creative director of Shiok SG and also, the co-owner of both Impressionist and Imagica. One would then wonder, how did he manage to balance out his commitment towards his businesses, studies and sports?
“I guess time management is my strength. I am able to segment my mind in such a way that I can focus on one thing, finish it, before moving on to another. Multitasking would be my added strength. I have to learn to prioritise so that certain things would have more progress than the others. Managing expectations is important too as success does not come overnight.”
Indeed, with good time management and multitasking as his strengths, Calvin is not only able to cope, but also, excel in his various commitments. Despite so, it is hard to deny that he is leading a hectic lifestyle. So, what are his reasons for taking up so many commitments, resulting in him having such a busy lifestyle?
“I always strive to learn more and I guess, I have this hunger for wisdom and knowledge. Most importantly, I let my passion drive.”
For Calvin, his hunger of wisdom and knowledge is also evident in his devotion towards sports as well. Just a year back, Calvin has put on hold his studies in NTU for a year to focus fully on his trainings for the IAAF World Championship 2013 in Moscow and also, this year’s Asian Games. Growing up in a nation where education is an important part in everyone’s lives, one cannot help but ponder how did he feel about taking that one year off from his education and what made him decide to do so.
“Taking that one year off wasn’t easy (for me) because if you look at it from the perspectives of both an employer and a student, there is the issue of opportunity cost. One year can cost you quite a lot in a way. Yet, there was a support system that gave us some allowance during this one year. Also, there was a team that was working together to plan trainings for us. In that one year, I felt that I have greatly increased my quality of life. It helped me to realize that life is not so much about reaching the end of the education and going into the working society. It also allowed me to focus on what I love (track and field) and get to know my strengths and weaknesses better. In fact, it allowed me to focus on other hobbies like music and arts. “
Indeed, taking that one year off from education is an insightful and enriching one for Calvin. Not only did he get to focus on his trainings, he also get to discover more about himself. However, we cannot deny our curiosity with regards to his training regime during that one year, or even, now.
“Usually, we train about 6 days a week. For now, I have to plan my training schedule around the school curriculum and I have planned it in a way that school takes precedence in the morning and trainings are in the evenings. This is different as compared to the double sessions that I used to train for whilst I was training full time. For sprinters, our trainings consist of specific components like short accelerations, speed endurance, strength and power activities, plyometric, core stability and so on. Each training session usually lasts for about 3 hours.”
Despite such a harsh training regime, we all know that without a good and balanced diet, results would not show. So, how is Calvin’s diet like?
“For sprints, it is not a weight class sport so there is not much of a control. Yet, I still do try to eat healthier. The Health Promotion Board’s guidelines are actually good since they guide you on the amount of greens you should take to have a balanced diet. For me, it is not so much about the type of food but rather, the way that it is being prepared. I try to avoid oily fried food and have more steamed dishes instead. Before competition, I usually take in more carbohydrates since they give you a direct energy source. I will take in more proteins after a race as it helps in muscle regeneration.”
To read more, visit the full article at SportSanity here.
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