Chip on the Shoulder
I have always had a chip on my shoulder, a little grudge that I held mostly against myself. I never quite got over it, and even though my self-esteem has grown over the years, that little chip on my shoulder never really disappeared. It just manifested itself a little differently, and in a more positive way.
As a young child, little differences stood out in big ways. I was born with ventricular septal defect (also known as hole in the heart), and had it repaired when I was 2. As far as heart defect goes, it is the most common and the least severe. But once you had that a long scar running down your chest, your teachers recoil back in fear. I remembered my physical education classes in primary school, and how I was stopped from participating in lessons till I received a letter from my doctors. It was really a safety issue, and when I got older I understood that the teachers needed to cover their ass! But to a 7 year old, having to sit by the side as his peers played was quite painful.
And this is what motivates me today. Not revenge on the pain I felt as a kid of course! But that children with chronic illnesses and their parents would receive greater help and support in their fight against it, and not allow it to bring them down or stop them from progressing in life.
Which brings us to Club Rainbow!
Back in 1989, when I had my heart correction surgery, an organization like Club Rainbow does not exist. My mum told me about the fear of having to send her child into the operating theatre. It was a less connected World back then, The very fact that she had to witness a child collapse in the ICU during a pre-operation visit did not help. Chronic illnesses and congenital conditions are horrifying things. I can never understand the pain, fear and hopelessness that my parents or any parent whose child is battling a chronic condition is going through. What I know for sure is that emotional support and education will lighten their load.
This is where an organization like Club Rainbow comes in. As part of their 5 core services, Club Rainbow provides emotional support for families with chronically ill children. The other 4 core services are Education, Social Integration, Financial Assistance and Information Support. Club Rainbow also runs an annual camp for the kids under their charge. Camp Rainbow is a 3 days, 2 nights adventure camp for chronically ill children with the aim of building their self-esteem and confidence, and improve their creative, cognitive and physical skills.
Which brings me to my challenge for 2016. I will be completing a triple Spartan Race Trifecta to raise S$3,000 for Club Rainbow. A Spartan Race Trifecta is the completion of 3 different Spartan Race distance, the Sprint (7km), the Super (14km) and the Beast (21km). To complete the triple Trifecta, I will be racing each distance 3 times, for a total of 9 races. Each Trifecta also marks 10 years of my life living and fighting with a heart defect as I crossed 30 this year. Yes! I am a little narcissistic, but so is everyone else.
So why a Spartan race? I did my first race, the inaugural Singapore Sprint in November 2015 and I never looked back. To me, a Spartan race is the manifestation of life itself. You start running, and when you reach an obstacle, you face it and overcome it. However, not every obstacles can be defeated solo. Sometimes you need a helping hand to pull you over an obstacle, then you pay it forward by helping someone else beat his obstacle. As time ticks by, and the strain of the race takes a toll on you, sometimes, all you need is a shout of encouragement to continue running.
Thus far I have completed 4 races, but yet to achieve a single Trifecta. I will be doing my first Beast, the Putrajaya Beast in Malaysia on the 9th of October, followed by the Bintan Beast in Indonesia on the 19th of November. Finally I will be doing 3 races over the weekend of 26th and 27th November to complete the Bright Sprint, Super and Beast. The full list of races I have done and will be doing is as follows:
Race
|
Date
|
Country
|
Review
|
|---|---|---|---|
Kuala Lumpur Super
|
20th March
|
Malaysia
| |
Singapore Sprint
|
7th May
|
Singapore
| |
Melbourne Super
|
4th June
|
Australia
| |
Melbourne Sprint
|
4th June
|
Australia
| |
Putrajaya Beast
|
9th October
|
Malaysia
|
To be completed
|
Bintan Beast
|
19th November
|
Indonesia
|
To be completed
|
Bright Sprint
|
26th November
|
Australia
|
To be completed
|
Bright Super
|
26th November
|
Australia
|
To be completed
|
Bright Beast
|
27th November
|
Australia
|
To be completed
|
I have a chip on my shoulder, but that's not always a bad thing. I got scar on my chest, but I'm not ashamed. I channel my little grudge into a pursue for fitness and good health. I'm here to encourage more people (including children and adults with chronic illness) to get up and move.
To complete the 9 races and 3 Trifecta is my task. To raise the S$3,000 for Club Rainbow, I need your help. Do visit this page to donate to Club Rainbow.
Lin Yimian, CSCS, SGX
The opinions expressed in this article are the author's own and do not reflect the view of the Club Rainbow. All funds raised through giving.sg goes directly to Club Rainbow.
Support me in my bid to complete 3 Spartan Trifecta and raise $3k for Club Rainbow! Click here!
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