How Maximilian Maeder’s parents raised a world champion

PARIS – By the time Maximilian Maeder was 11, he had already begun travelling to different parts of the world on his own for his kitefoiling training sessions and competitions.

Despite his independence at a young age, it once got too much for a 12-year-old Maximilian. The cold and stormy conditions at a competition in Fuerteventura in Spain’s Canary Islands were unforgiving, leaving some of the Singaporean’s equipment broken and wet.

In addition to fixing and drying his gear, Maximilian had to handle household chores like shopping, cooking and washing, leaving him feeling overwhelmed.

He confided in his parents Valentin and Hwee Keng, a Swiss and Singaporean, and the pair decided that either one would accompany him at competitions whenever possible.

They also roped in Daniel Leow, a former competitor from Malaysia, who is now Maximilian’s technician and co-pilot and a crucial member of the teenager’s support system.

Valentin recalled: “He (Maximilian) was good enough already for the others to not find him cute any more and then he expressed, ‘Look, I’m overwhelmed, we need to change something’.

“We found somebody who could give him a bit more support and found the balance again.”

For him and his wife, it was important to let their three sons – Maximilian, 17; Karl, 15; and Valentin Jr, nine – pursue their interests, but also establish a safe space where they feel comfortable opening up to their parents.

Sport has helped cultivate that relationship. Valentin, a passionate glider pilot, shared a love of sport with his own father and it remains a big part of the Maeder household now.

When the three boys were younger, the family, who have a home in Switzerland, would spend weeks in the mountains skiing and hiking.

Kitefoiling is also a family affair, although they do the sport to varying degrees.

Two-time world champion Maximilian and Karl are both competitive kitefoilers – the former represents Singapore and the latter competes for Switzerland – while Hwee Keng has just picked up the sport in 2024.

Their shared interest in sport keeps the family close, even if they spend only “20 per cent” of the year together in person due to conflicting schedules.

“Sport keeps a channel open always to communicate,” said Valentin. “Sometimes after not seeing each other for weeks, when we meet, it just feels like we’ve been together yesterday.”

Maximilian’s interest in sport was clear from a young age, when he started competing in ski races at the age of four, before Valentin introduced him to kiteboarding two years later.

Valentin continues to play an important role in Maximilian’s sporting career.

During competitions or a training phase, Valentin and Maximilian, who is one of the favourites for gold at the Paris Olympics, have developed a routine of having a morning briefing and a sharing session after a race.

But it is not the same approach with all his children, with Valentin noting that Karl prefers doing things on his own.

Both Valentin, 60, and Hwee Keng, 52, stressed the importance of letting their children make their own decisions and began building independence in them when they were young. When Hwee Keng travels with Valentin Jr, she asks him to lead her to their airport gate.

The couple – who built the Wakatobi Dive Resort on the Indonesian island of Sulawesi – would expose the kids to different people and situations, even bringing them to business meetings.

Having their children homeschooled has also helped Valentin and Hwee Keng understand their views and how they think.

Said Hwee Keng: “We’ve already spent a good number of years very intensely following the progress of the mind and how they frame things and look at the world.”

Communication is also about showing their children it is okay to make mistakes. As they brought their business through tough times in the pandemic, they were honest about the uncertainties and challenges they faced.

Said Hwee Keng: “Family should be a safe space where they love to return to, they can show their vulnerability, they can share and they feel confident that you’re never going to do anything bad with it.”

It is clear that this has rubbed off on the younger Maeders. Valentin recalled how his youngest son asked Maximilian why he was faster than his training partner in competitions, but sometimes gets beaten in training.

Recounting the response, Valentin said: “Max said, ‘It is because I make mistakes, I sometimes run with completely wrong judgments, I have stage fright, my error rate increases when I get tired, I forget things but I just manage those human factors a little better than the other guy.

“He’s comfortable that he encounters these human limits.”

Valentin spends as much time on Karl as he does with Maximilian, as his middle child works his way up from the middle of the kitefoiling rankings.

He said: “He still learns about himself, still learns to navigate the vagaries, it’s the journey – the takeaway may be different, but it’s not wasted years. It’s a positive thing, these are life skills.”