At one point of my life, I was weighing about 92kg and my peers would often make fun of my weight. Casual jokes like “Oh, if you can’t finish your food, just hand it over to Wayne, he’s fat, he needs it.” were said to me frequently. It certainly didn’t help much when the same occurrence happened at work too. People just call you fat.

At one point of time, it was an issue of self-esteem. I didn’t have the confidence to defend myself from the verbal and physical bullying. Then I had a dream – I wanted to take part in an obstacle course challenge after seeing some of my peers doing so. Of course, this idea of mine got mocked at.

In 2012 I decided to take some actions, decided to exercise for real, so I took up martial arts as an avenue to lose it all. And I did – I lost 20kg in four months. The transformation totally shut all the nay-sayers out.

The time was just right too, as Sasuke Singapore announced its presence in July 2012 and I took part in it. Eventually I also represented Singapore for Sasuke at the international level and I did well in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu competitions.

The decision to lead a healthier lifestyle not only makes me feel healthier and livelier, but it also boosted my self-esteem and self-confidence. Then I begin my mission to inspire others who are in the same plight as myself – bully victims. I tell them to take action of the course of their lives and to make dreams happen. Don’t let the negative people in your life define you. If you have a dream, go for it as only you yourself can fulfil it!

You can’t teach heart.