Skating phenom Chloe Chua a showcase of boldness at eight years old

SINGAPORE – When eight-year-old Chloe Chua was doing a practice run ahead of the Festival International des Sports Extremes (FISE) urban sports festival in Shanghai in October, a mishap left the inline skater needing at least 15 stitches, including nine on her chin.

Just as she was about to attempt a jump as part of her routine, a fellow competitor on a BMX bicycle flew past her, which made her hesitate for a split-second.

With her foot stuck on the ramp, she fell and hit her chin on another ramp below, leaving her with a serious gash. She was then rushed to the hospital to seek medical attention.

Despite her injury, Chloe competed in her event just two days later.

With a series of bandages on her chin tucked under the chinstrap of her helmet, she powered to a seventh-placed finish out of 19 competitors in the freestyle park junior category, in which contestants perform tricks, stunts and jumps in order to accumulate the highest score possible.

She also competed in the spine ramp event, where competitors perform their tricks on two opposite-facing ramps joined by a central edge to resemble a “W”. She finished seventh out of eight competitors, which included adults.

Chloe said she simply tweaked her routine to prevent a similar accident from happening. “I just changed my line a bit. Instead of that big jump, I actually went onto the platform first before I dropped in (to the ramp),” she said.

Asked how she felt after her injury, she said: “I felt a bit scared and a bit proud. Proud because after I fell down, I still went back up and skated the competition again, but my mother actually said she wanted to cancel everything.”

Chloe’s mother was understandably worried, as the gash on her chin was so deep that it exposed the bone underneath.

But Chloe’s coach, Lucas Ng, himself an inline skater and a former SEA Games gold-winning ice skater, suggested to her mum that Chloe should make the decision herself.

“She wanted to stop, but I encouraged her to just let Chloe take a day off and let her rest,” said the 37-year-old. “After the rest, go back on the ramps and just do easier tricks. Let her feel herself out, how she felt on the ramps.

“If she says she’s ready, we will go ahead. If she says she’s not ready, then we will stop.”

Chloe continued competing as the FISE urban sports festival made its debut in Singapore at *SCAPE and Somerset Skate Park over the Nov 22-23 weekend as part of the Singapore Urban Sports + Fitness Festival.

Representing her home country and still donning a bandage on her chin, Chloe took part in the same two events on Nov 22. She was unranked in the rollerblading best line open, after missing out on the top five in a 17-strong field, but finished second out of seven in the rollerblading best line junior.

On Nov 23, she was invited to take part in a special demonstration showcase, where she joined representatives from the United Kingdom, Australia, Brazil and the United States in showcasing their skills and boldness across four disciplines – BMX, scootering, rollerblading and skateboarding.

Chloe started inline skating at the age of three, after watching her mother and a friend rollerblade. From there, Ng discovered her and immediately recognised her talent.

“I saw the way she was skating at just three years old, and I told her mum that she has very good potential,” said Ng.

“She had very good body awareness, and she understood how to use her limbs properly. I was explaining that, with this potential, she could go somewhere someday.”

Under Ng’s tutelage, Chloe made a brief transition to ice skating, where she took part in her first competition merely one to two months after the switch.

From there, she honed her skills in inline speed skating and ice speed skating, before making the switch to aggressive inline skating. This encompasses tricks and jumps, where she now channels most of her competitive focus.

Across 15-20 competitions, she has amassed over 40 medals.

In order to hone her skills, she also travels to South Korea regularly to work with a coach.

To do this, the Primary 2 pupil at Rivervale Primary School must take time off her classes. She would have to bring her homework along and complete it before returning to school.

Moving forward, she has set lofty goals for herself.

Asked when she intends to stop competing, Chloe replied with a cheeky grin: “When I become a world champion, and when I become as fast as my coach. I want to be faster than coach Lucas.”