SEA Games 2023: Athlete mums get kick from competing, winning

PHNOM PENH – Riding many kilometres on hilly terrain can take a physical and mental toll, but national cyclist Faye Foo feels motherhood has prepared her for the “hurt locker”.

The 39-year-old mum of Matthew and Oliver, aged eight and six respectively, said: “Having given birth and cared for two kids, waking up at 4am does not feel like a massive chore to me.

“I can now deal with very little sleep and juggle multiple things on hand. It boils down to being super disciplined. The mental aspect helps when we are pedalling hard against girls who seem to fly up the slope, and your mind is telling you to just drop it because it’s too hard. But I just grit my teeth and get through it.”

It has become a running joke that she is also mother of the women’s team because her maternal instincts kick in whenever they are overseas as she will prepare extra insect repellent, wet wipes and masks.

Foo, who is a headhunter in the finance industry, belongs to a rare breed who became a national athlete after starting a family.

Calling herself a “Covid cyclist”, she started cycling outdoors from December 2020 when the gyms were closed. Things fell into place when she was introduced to national cycling coach Adrian Ng, who was looking to start a women’s academy.

“Tongue-in-cheek, he said he would give me a training plan and see if I could make it to the SEA Games in three years,” Foo recalled.

“But I’m a very competitive person who gets a kick out of hitting targets and winning awards at work. With a supportive family and employer, and good time management, here I am.”

Foo finished 27th in the women’s individual mass start in the ongoing Games.

A typical day sees Foo wake at 4am, train for a couple of hours, rush home and then to work, before sleeping at 9pm. She also has to go for several overseas training camps and competitions.

“I miss my family a lot during our time apart, but it’s also what keeps me going and I make sure I give 100 per cent in training and races to make the time spent apart worthwhile,” said Foo, whose family also cycle together on weekends.

National pole vaulter and mother of one Rachel Yang also feels extra motivation when competing.

She did not win a SEA Games medal in 2009 and 2011 before she gave birth to Zacchaeus in 2013. Thereafter, she claimed silver in 2015 and bronze in 2017, before missing the next two editions through injury.

The IT consultant, who did not record a height in Cambodia, said: “I visualised bringing my son with me to the podium and I was very determined to reach this target. There was a great sense of achievement when I pulled it off in 2015.

“The process was physically very demanding as I was also working and pursuing a Masters in business administration then, and my boy would wake up once every two to three hours. But I also became mentally stronger.”

Sports runs in her family, as her husband David Yeo is also her coach. She picked up pole-vaulting only after they started dating when she was 23. Now 10, Zacchaeus has also started to vault and he also likes basketball.

Like Foo, Yang feels that support from family, employer and her national sports association has made it easier for mothers to pursue high-level sports.

For example, on a 1½-month work trip in Canada earlier in 2023, she was able to train with a recreational club in Montreal. She managed to go to Charlotte and Seattle, where she trained with 2022 USA Outdoor Track and Field Championships runner-up Alina McDonald and world junior champion Hana Moll.

Yang, who has also qualified for the Sept 23-Oct 8 Asian Games, said: “I never thought I would still be competing at 41. I have continued to vault because it has become a lifestyle and facilities are more accessible now. But these will be my last SEA Games and the Asian Games will be my swansong.”