VOL. NO.
22
SPORTS
THE NANYANG
01 CHRONICLE
23
Better eight than never Nur Amyraa Sports Editor
E
ight years after a debut silver at the Southeast Asian Games (SEA Games), Daniella Ng went one better as she clinched not just one, but two gold medals at this year’s edition. Motivated by her second place finish in the women’s Optimist Team Racing event in the 24th SEA Games in 2007, it was sweet redemption for Ng, who took home the top spot in the Women’s Match Racing Keelboat and Fleet Racing Keelboat. The 23-year-old said: “After losing to host-nation Thailand in 2007, this year’s Games was an opportunity for me to prove that I have grown over the eight years of hard work.”
Eight years long
Ng had her fair share of ups and downs during those eight years. She participated in the international under-18 Class 420 event in 2009 and 2010, but decided against competing in the Olympic Class 470 the following year. It would have meant the hassle of sourcing for a different partner who weighed at least 70 kilograms, in order to meet the Class 470 requirement of a combined weight of at least 110 kilograms between the two crew on board. Ng then took a break from sailing, and went on to try other sports like rowing and archery, but realised that her heart was still set on her primary sport. In 2011, Ng enrolled in the Sports
Science and Management (SSM) programme in NTU, where she met an NTU sailing alumni who invited her to sail for the varsity team. She then picked up from where she left off, started sailing again, and underwent nine local training camps, which lasted between seven and 10 days. Ng also participated in numerous overseas competitions in Australia, New Zealand, United Kingdom and France, conducted by the Singapore Sailing Federation between February and June this year. On days where she takes a break from sailing, Ng is at the Singapore Sports Institute’s gym working on her fitness, with one of her trainers Scott Vanderput. “It just goes to show that hard work pays off,” said Ng.
Newly formed team
Despite her newfound success, the journey has not been all smoothsailing for the final-year SSM student. Having only met her teammates for the keelboat events in early February, Ng was left with little time to adapt to her new teammates’ sailing styles. “Since everyone was set in their own way of sailing, it was challenging for us to gel together initially,” she said. Ng added: “Our trainings started off with a lot of boat handling, working on team dynamics and finding a system that works best on board.” However, the experience from two-time Olympian Dawn Liu proved useful for the team. “Dawn made most of the tactical decisions such as the direction to steer the boat in,” said Ng.
IN HER ELEMENT: Daniella and her teammates getting ready for her women's Keelboat racing event.
Making sacrifices
Not only did Ng have to contend with the dynamics of a new team, she also had to juggle both her academic commitments and an intense training schedule. With training thrice a week, Ng knew that she had to put her studies on hold — therefore, she took a gap semester to dedicate her time fully to the SEA Games preparations. “My parents have always been
supportive of my endeavours, but they were noticeably worried when they learnt of my semestral deferment,” said Ng. “Furthermore I was not entirely sure if I would be able to complete my Final Year Project at a later date. Thankfully everything worked out for me.”
Getting into the sport
While Ng professes her love for sailing today, her first encounter with the sport stemmed from a chance encounter. “I was actually in a track team during my upper primary years when it was closed down," said Ng. "Coincidentally, the teacherin-charge of the sail team needed an additional team member to participate in the inter-school sailing competition, so I jumped at the chance." Her accidental foray into the sport sparked Ng's interest. Since then, she has never looked back. Everything seemed to fall into place when the Singapore Sports School opened in 2004 and offered her a spot on the sail team, opening up more doors for her. “Although I was new to the sport, I was lucky to be able to train with the national squad and improve my skills,” said Ng.
Looking ahead
TOP SPOT: Daniella (second from right) and her teammates pose after their win in the Women's Fleet Racing Keelboat event.
After her breakthrough at this year's Games, Ng will look to focus more on the women’s keelboat event and hopes to do Singapore proud in more of such events in future competitions. Sailing aside, Ng aspires to be a physiotherapist and will enroll in a graduate programme once her term ends in December.
PHOTOS: COURTESY OF ATHLETE
I would describe myself as... Cheerful, resourceful, sporty.
My hobbies are... Watching detective shows like CSI, NCIS, White Collar, Elementary and Sherlock. I enjoy guessing the suspects before they eventually reveal the criminal.
My guilty pleasure is... I don't have a sweet tooth, so I don't really enjoy chocolates or cakes, but every once in a while I do indulge in a little bit of vanilla ice cream.
My pet peeve is... When someone drags their feet when they walk or when someone keeps asking me questions especially after I have had a long day.
My personal goals and aspirations... If I was not vertically challenged, I would like to get a pilot license and be paid to travel the world.
If not for sailing, I would... Probably not be doing sports. During my 2nd and 3rd year in NTU, I tried archery and rowing but did not quite like it.