I am very excited to be doing this with Rock The Naked Truth (RTNT). When I found out about Cheryl Tay’s body image movement, I told her that I wanna be part of it.

For the past 12 years in my rowing career, I feel that I have been really selfish in my pursuit of my Olympic dreams. I left my family to train overseas for months, I had to put aside my job and leave my colleagues having to cover my duties while I was away. I was my best friend’s bridesmaid who came late to the wedding because I had training commitments and I have younger siblings and nieces and nephews I hardly spend time with. I don’t even know if some of them know of my existence!

I have felt like that for the past 12 years – I have been taking and taking, and not giving. I always tell myself that when the time is right, I will give back- but is there ever a “right” time to give back? Why can’t I do it now?

“If you wait until you can do everything for everybody, instead of something for somebody, you’ll end up not doing nothing for nobody.”
– Malcolm Bane

Giving back does not necessarily have to be in the form of money, I realised. I have collected a bunch of wisdom (I’d like to think so) in my 28 years of existence on the face of this Earth so I was thinking that my way of giving back could be sharing my stories.

I have learnt so much from reading about the lives of others that I hope you can learn a thing or two from my stories. Or even if you don’t, at least pretend that I keep you entertained. So cheers to the New Year and this new writing journey of mine and to the many stories that I will share and that you will get to hear.

Thanks, Cheryl, for this opportunity. x