Swimmer Gan Ching Hwee’s life is a brilliant battle against the clock

The object of Gan Ching Hwee’s focus is a slim, rectangular item which is attached to a light pole on the pool deck. This device makes no sound yet its blinking red digits speak a tough language. It measures human progress and its verdict is irrefutable.

In the water during practice, Gan is “always looking at it”. As she leaves the wall, “it is the last thing I see”. When she touches the wall, “it’s the first thing I see”. This object shows no emotion yet it dictates hers. Sometimes it tells her a tale that annoys her, but she loves it all the same.