SEASPORTS
Promising Sailor Wai Zhi Tong
Age: 10 School: CHIJ Primary (Toa Payoh) Hobbies: Swimming, Aikido and Cycling Favourite Food: Braised chicken wings & mushrooms pot cooked by Mummy Words For a Fellow Sailor: Sometimes you may need to follow your gut feel even if it means going a totally different path from the rest. Once you’ve decided, follow it through to the end. Sailing Honours: • 7th position; Junior Optimist Girls; SingaporeSailing Students Challenge Trophy How did your sailing journey come about? Daddy signed me up for GKA at Sembawang when I was in P1. It was fun and so he continued to sign me up for C-Squad and then B-Squad. Then he asked me if I still want to continue with racing. I said yes and here I am, training and racing actively. What’s your favourite aspect of sailing? I get to make a lot of new friends who are passionate about sailing.
12 | BOSUN’S CALL
What can you say about your time with SAF Yacht Club? With SAF Yacht Club, my weekends are always filled with fun and excitement.
For you, what makes a good sailor? A good sailor is someone who has good sportsmanship, a good sense of environmental conditions, and can perform well consistently.
Could you share your most memorable sailing experience? In one of my recent races, I took a path that is different from everyone else and rounded the mark first. Eventually I finished 2nd for that race.
What are your personal goals in terms of sailing? I hope that one day I will be able to represent Singapore in international sailing competitions.
What about your worst experience in sailing? In another one of my recent races, I capsized just 50m away from the finishing line. What could have been an 8th position finish, ended up with me finishing 20+. It was so frustrating. Are you into other sports besides sailing? If yes, what are they? I learn and practice Aikido since I was 4 years old. I like to swim leisurely with my daddy and brother. I also enjoy cycling with my family at the various parks in Singapore. How do you manage sailing around your curriculum of studies? I try to finish all my homework before the weekend so that I can fully enjoy the sailing.
Any regattas you are looking forward to this year? How do you prepare yourself for the competition? With the current pandemic situation causing many regattas to be cancelled, every opportunity to race is precious and I look forward to participating in every one of them. I will go for every training session leading up to the regattas and put my best in every training race.
