Sport Singapore welcomes its second batch of brand ambassadors! They are your everyday Singaporeans, tackling the same demands of life as you do, but SportSG's newest sport and fitness influencers also hold a strong belief that sport can inspire us to live better. Get to know them in our feature series here!

Despite being just 18, Team Singapore shooter Martina Lindsay Veloso already possesses national records and medals across several events in various major games, with her most recent achievements being two out of the three gold medals Singapore picked up at the 2018 Gold Coast Commonwealth Games.

On top of her sporting commitments, the teen is also a student at Nanyang Polytechnic, an intern at Singapore Sport Institute (SSI) a member of the Singapore National Olympic Council (SNOC) Athletes’ Commission, and now a brand ambassador for Sport Singapore (SportSG).

“I’m the first shooting ambassador, and I get to represent the entire shooting community, which I think is very good because shooters rarely get to be included in these kinds of things [as compared to the more popular sports],” she pointed out.

Juggling so many responsibilities might sound overwhelming, but it all comes down to time-management for Martina.

With her numerous achievements, she is naturally something of a role model for her juniors – some who are as young as 12-years-old - and her peers.

“When I first started [in] the sport [of shooting], I never thought I could inspire others. I just took it up because I thought that I would enjoy it,” Martina shared.

“I’m really happy that others are taking it up because of me, and hopefully in the future, they will be able to [achieve similar results],” she revealed. Closer to home, Martina helps to coach and guide her 15-year-old brother, Marat Veloso, a shooter in the national youth squad himself.

“I told him to take it slow because he’s still young. When I was his age, I also placed a lot of expectations on myself and I wish I didn’t do that. [They should just] enjoy the sport and give their best,” she said, adding that the mentality can be applied to any other young athlete as well.

Besides her juniors in the shooting community, Martina’s friends within the greater sporting fraternity also turn to her for advice sometimes. One such athlete who she talks to on a regular basis is fellow SportSG ambassador and TeamSG tennis player Shaheed Alam.

“I’m a positive person, so I like to encourage people. Sometimes my friends ask me how I cope with pressure or expectations. Shaheed is one of them. [We talk] sometimes [when] he has upcoming matches,” she shared.

By sharing her sporting journey and experiences from her capacity as an athlete and a SportSG ambassador, Martina hopes to inspire more youths to pick up sports from a young age. “Through sport, I’ve managed to learn lots of values and these are also applicable to [life] outside of sport,” she reflected.

“I’m looking forward to getting involved with the other ambassadors [in different initiatives], and in more events and activities to promote an active lifestyle and healthy living in Singapore!”

Find out what’s next for Martina by following her on Instagram (@sparklingraindrops), and stay tuned to the myActiveSG Facebook page , SG Sports TV Facebook; and SportSG Instagram accounts (@sport_singapore and @sgsportstv) for more!