National triathlete Denise Chia, had first got into the sport of triathlon, at the tender age of seven.
Said the 20 year old, who will next month be heading to the University of Newcastle, Australia, to study medicine, “My parents wanted me to be a swimmer when I was younger, but that proved to be a fruitless venture as I got beaten by everyone else, even at such a young age.”
Photo credit to Luke Chua
Won her first triathlon in 2004
She added, “My parents, wanting me to try a different sport, signed me up for the New Balance Aquathlon in 2004 for fun, and I happened to win it. Encouraged, my parents signed me up for the Osim Singapore Triathlon in the same year, and I won that one as well, though both wins were really just out of luck. From then on, I started to do more triathlons though.”
Denise soon became addicted to triathlons from then onwards. She said, “What I love most about the sport is how there are so many elements to it and hence so many different ways to play a race to your advantage. It’s almost like a puzzle that presents itself differently each time.”
Parents have showed their unwavering support for her triathlon journey
And throughout the years, her doting parents have continued to give her their full support, towards her triathlon journey. Said Denise, “For a start, they’ve been paying for all my races, equipment, race fees and travel fees for the past 13 years! In addition, they’ve also made many adjustments to the way we live, just to accommodate my training and racing. For example, my parents, despite coming from a rock climbing background, picked up cycling when I started triathlon, so that they could ensure my safety when I went out riding.”
She added, “Another example of their support is how we sometimes have dinner at nearly midnight, because my training ends past 9pm and it’s far from my home. I think the small things they do, are really what demonstrates their unwavering support for me.”
Photo credit to Joey Lu
Triathlon has brought Denise to the Sea Games
Her parents must be so proud of her – for today, the sport of triathlon has now brought Denise to the South East Asian (SEA) Games. During the recent SEA Games Triathlon Trials, she was placed second out of a field of four women, thus earning her a spot in the SEA Games in Kuala Lumpur in 2017. Winona Howe had been the other female triathlete who had qualified together with her.
Said Denise, “I think I did pretty okay in the trials, considering the fact that it was only my second Standard Distance (SD) triathlon! I did my first SD triathlon race last December in Thailand. Overall I feel that I performed satisfactorily in the trials, but there is still a lot of room for improvement for me, for example, I need to figure out how to run without socks without getting blisters.”
She added, “I wouldn’t say that I expected to qualify, but I approached the race with a positive mindset and told myself that the outcome was in God’s hands. I think I did particularly well on the bike leg and Winona was a great help when it came to that segment of the race. I think our communication during the race was also good – we didn’t plan to work together beforehand, so I think our impromptu tactics and communication during the race were pretty great.”
Her best moment in triathlon was participating in the 2014 Youth Olympics
Denise, however, is not completely new to representing Singapore on the national stage – she was also a part of the 2014 Youth Olympics Games (YOG) Triathlon. Said the triathlete, “I got to compete with people from all over the world at the YOG, not just those from South East Asia. Furthermore with the YOG having strict age limits for competitors – 16 to 17 years old for the triathlon event – it was really a once in a lifetime opportunity and I feel really fortunate to have been able to participate.”
Photo credit to Thailand Tri League
Training for the SEA Games
To train for the SEA Games, Denise will have to juggle her studies in Australia with her training regime. She said, “I will be heading to Australia for my studies in February. I think that proper time management is all that I really need. I plan to train early in the morning before school starts or in the evening when school ends, and I will spend the rest of my time out of class, studying! I’ve also met a few friends here, going to the same university as me – so I hope we’ll be able to help each other fill in any gaps in our knowledge. I’ll also approach my teachers if I’m unclear about anything.”
Continued Denise, “I’ll be joining a triathlon club there too – something I have not done here in Singapore. While my training programme in Singapore has worked for me so far, I hope this change will help to take me one step further with regards to training specifically for triathlons.”
Currently Denise trains seven time a week; two sessions of swimming, two sessions of cycling and three sessions of running.
But she admits that she is often lazy and does not feel like training. Said Denise, “I often don’t feel like training… I am really quite lazy! I always go for training even if I don’t feel like it, though. I tell myself that consistency is necessary for improvement and if I miss a workout, my previous efforts would all have gone to waste. So in a way, I scare myself into training when I am not in the mood. I usually stay motivated by reminding myself of the goals that I have set out to achieve.”
Photo credits to Lim Soon Hin
Tips from Denise
And what tips does Denise have, for other athletes out there? She said, “Don’t let anyone tell you that you can’t do anything; not even yourself.”
In terms of her own triathlon dreams, Denise hopes to make it to the 2020 Olympics. She said, “I hope to make it to the 2020 Olympics; but no concrete plans yet because I’ll only graduate from university in 2021. I also hope to compete in the Asian Games and the Commonwealth Games as well… if possible!”
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