My Perfect Weekend with Mr World Singapore 2024 winner Isaac Yip

Who: Mr Isaac Yip, 23, won the title of Mr World Singapore 2024 at the annual pageant on Aug 15. The industrious second-year real estate student at the National University of Singapore is also a personal trainer and private tutor. He will represent Singapore at the international Mr World pageant in 2025.

“My weekends are packed with gym coaching sessions and tutoring, as most of my clients and students want their lessons on Saturdays and Sundays.

My days usually begin at 7am, even on the weekends, as some of my clients request to start their gym sessions early before they go about their day.

Each gym session is about one to 1½ hours, and I usually have three training sessions in the morning.

I am not attached to any gym, so I will travel to my clients’ places to help them with their workouts. It may be at the gyms under ActiveSG or I will coach them at their condominium gyms or in their homes.

Weekend afternoons will be spent tutoring. I specialise in English and mathematics for students from primary school to junior college. As it is the examination period now, parents request more lessons, which means my weekends are even more packed.

My work on Saturdays can end around 9pm, while I end earlier on Sundays at about 5pm.

I will find time to take long walks at either East Coast or West Coast beach with my girlfriend. I love walking as it gives me time to reflect on the week and plan my schedule for the coming week. It is also a time to catch up with my girlfriend, who works in the fitness industry.

I cook my own meals as I advocate healthy eating, so nights will be spent at home preparing lunch and dinner for the following day. I also love grocery shopping in the evenings as that is when I destress.

While I do not cook for my parents – whom I’m living with – as I don’t usually have meals with them, I help plan their meals and recommend what they should be eating for a balanced diet.

I am always asked why I spend so much time working on the weekends and not using the time to chill and relax. To me, an ideal weekend is being able to stay busy. I find being able to occupy myself with work is a blessing.

I get my downtime when I am travelling to my students’ homes or the gyms. When I train my clients, it is also a time I squeeze in my own workouts.

Through managing my studies, keeping tabs on the school curriculum to be a better teacher to my students and fitting in personal training requests, I have learnt how to manage my time effectively.

I’m very happy I can be of help to both children and adults. I also learn much from my personal training clients and students. I know I am making an impact on their lives. What I’m doing is something worthwhile and very meaningful.”