Fit And Fab

She tapes ankles before matches

Netballer Kimberly Lim also listens to slow songs to stay calm, reports Ng Wan Ching

Ms Lim feels restless on days when there is no netball training, though she enjoys the time off.
Ms Lim feels restless on days when there is no netball training, though she enjoys the time off. ST PHOTO: LAU FOOK KONG

Q What is your secret to looking fabulous?

A I drink lots of water and take good care of my skin. The vigorous netball training helps too.

Q Has there ever been a time when you were not fit and fab?

A I wouldn't say I was ever fat, but it was when I broke my collarbone in September last year. I tripped and fell when I was playing rugby.

I went for surgery and was out of action for a while. But, out of habit, I continued eating like I did during training and put on weight.

When I could exercise again, I started cycling in the gym. I then did runs to build up my fitness. After surgery, I had barely three months to get fit enough for the Nations Cup competition.

Q What is your diet like?

A I try to have a proper meal in the morning. I try not to eat too much unhealthy food, such as fried or oily food and desserts.

Q What are your indulgences?

A I really like cheese tarts and cheesecakes. But I seldom indulge and I'll be satisfied with having just two tarts at one go.

Q What do you do to relax and how do you maintain a healthy work-life balance?

A I like my alone time to recharge and get ready for the next day. Usually, I stay home and zone out, or find something to do.

Q What are the three most important things in your life?

  • Bio Box

  • KIMBERLY LIM

    AGE: 21

    HEIGHT: 1.62m

    WEIGHT: 61.5kg

    Ms Lim became a national netballer in 2014 and plays wing attack and centre positions. The team finished fourth at the recently concluded Mission Foods Nations Cup 2016, against teams from Botswana, Canada, Ireland, Papua New Guinea and Zambia.

    She is a final-year student at Murdoch University, majoring in psychology and marketing.

    She also works at accounting firm Deloitte as a part-time administrative assistant.

    She has an older sister and brother, and all her family members are active too.

    She said: "We're all sporty."

A Family, sleep and my cats. I love those cats to bits. They have been with us for eight years now.

Q Would you go for plastic surgery and why?

A No, I don't see the need to go for surgery and then having to recover from it. This would take away time that I could use to do the things that I like to do.

Q Do you think you're sexy?

A Hahaha, yes. I feel it's about being confident about your own body.

Q What's your favourite part of your body?

A I have never really thought about it, maybe my smile? And maybe my eyes too. I embrace the fact that one's smaller than the other. I'm quite neutral about everything else.

Q What are your must-dos before and after a match and your training sessions?

A I must tape my ankles to prevent injuries. Other than that, I don't follow any particular routine to get ready for training and matches.

When I am feeling anxious before a game, I usually listen to slow songs to calm myself down.

Q How important is it for you to keep up with your fitness routine?

A I'd feel restless if there was no training on days when there should be. But it's nice to get time off.

Q What is the most extreme thing you have done in the name of fitness or diet?

A Previously, I tried cutting out carbohydrates because I didn't feel good about my weight. But I'd get dizzy easily. So I made a conscious effort to avoid fast food, desserts and carbonated drinks.

Q What do your friends and family say about your active lifestyle?

A They have been really supportive and understanding when I can't attend family gatherings because of my training.

Mum is always there for my games, even when they are held overseas.

Last year, for her 50th birthday present, we took her to Sydney for the two weeks of the Netball World Cup competition and, this year, she went along to Bangkok for the Asian Netball Championships.

Q How extensive is your collection of sports-related paraphenalia?

A Thanks to our sponsors, I have a lot of sportswear, shoes and equipment to use during our training sessions. I keep the competition posters as mementos. My mum keeps the medals in a box because she knows I'm not too good with being neat. I also keep videos of the games we've played.

Q Among them, what is your most prized possession?

A It would be the SEA Games gold medal that the national netball team won last year.

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A version of this article appeared in the print edition of The Straits Times on September 13, 2016, with the headline She tapes ankles before matches. Subscribe