Brazilian Jiujitsu world champion, Asian Games Silver Medallist, Sportsgirl of the Year… we may soon run out of accolades to award Sport Singapore Ambassador Constance Lien. But then again with sport running through her blood and a single-minded pursuit of her dreams, this Team Singapore athlete may soon add to her long list of accomplishments.


Tell us about your relationship with sports. Has it always been a big part of your life?

Sports has definitely been a huge part of my life as my whole family loves being active. My mom was a national swimmer so naturally both my sister and I followed in her footsteps. My dad loves doing triathlons and running so I guess that kind of makes my whole family rather sporty. I love sports because I can’t remember a time when it has not taught me anything I needed to know/have in life. Sports taught me discipline, focus, strength and resilience. I love how I feel after a good workout/training. Even if I am on my off season from my sport, you will always catch me working out. Sports gives me that outlet to express myself, to be myself. And I love it.

 
What do you hope to achieve in your role as a Sport Singapore (SportSG) Ambassador?

Just recently, I realised that a huge passion of mine would be inspiring and empower people through sports. Because just like how sports has taught me so much, I would love to use my sporting journey to help others and give back to the community. Specifically helping out teenagers and youths. One of my focus would be on emotional and mental health.

 
What’s your opinion of the sport scene in Singapore now and where do you hope to see it in the future?

The sport scene in Singapore has definitely grown a whole lot over the years and I loved that it has. I do hope that it does continue to grow as living a healthy balanced lifestyle is really something I live by. Honestly, I do hope to see that sports in general are able to help individuals who struggle with mental and emotional health as I really believe it can.


How do you think you can inspire people to lead a healthier lifestyle?

Through my social media. I truly believe in authenticity. So I always assure that whatever I post is real and authentic. And that my viewers are aware of that. I often post of what my day looks like which is often filled with physical activity even if I am not training. I post on food too and I eat a balanced diet most of the time. A healthier lifestyle to me includes having the awareness of emotional and mental health so I often share my thoughts on how I feel on certain topics like “failure, self-esteem, self-love etc.” and how I am growing through obstacles in life.


How do you convince people who say that they have no time for exercise to change their lifestyles?

I believe in convincing through showing. We all have the same 24hrs a day. What we choose to do with it actually defines our lifestyle. We can easily just squeeze in a 20 min run or even a 10 min workout into our busy schedules. If I were to convince someone, I would talk about the benefits of having an active lifestyle and show him/her how exercise has transformed my life.