Valentine’s Day with Team Singapore: Jowen Lim and Vera Tan

Q: How did you two meet?

Lim: We met during selection trials for the national team in 2010.

Q: When did you know he/she was the one?

Lim: It was when I realised that things became more boring and I get this feeling like something/someone was missing when she wasn’t around. Back then we used to have dinner together every day before training, but when she skipped training, dinner and training just didn’t feel the same without her.

Tan: When I feel comfortable, and can be completely myself when I’m with him. I find myself trusting him more and more every day, and started to become more secure about myself and our relationship.

Q: What is the most romantic thing he/she had done for you?

Lim: Vera plans most of our holidays so I would say when she plans surprises and/or things that only I like to do.

Tan: I’m not the type to swoon over grand gestures. I find little acts of service romantic, like him cooking for me and helping me do things when I’m too tired to do them myself.

Q: What will you be doing this Valentine’s Day?

Lim: Nothing’s more romantic than spending Valentine’s Day at training... Just kidding, we usually celebrate during the weekends instead when we don’t have training, probably over a nice dinner.

Q: What are the advantages of being married to an athlete?

Lim: We train six days a week, which means that I get to see her almost every day. For some people it may not be a good thing to see each other so often, but I love how we get to. Another good thing is that we get to travel around the world together, competing and representing Singapore.

Q: What are the disadvantages/downsides?

Tan: That if we fight or have an argument, there’s no escape because we have no choice but see each other at training every night. But honestly, we don’t fight often so this isn’t really much of a problem.

Q: What sport do you watch together?

Lim: I like to watch badminton and sometimes football, but Vera likes to watch climbing. We try to watch these together but we end up watching the sports we like separately.

Q: What do you like about each other’s event?

Lim: Vera does taiji and I do changquan. But I like how Vera’s event has music to go along with her routines.

Q: Is your event more difficult than his/hers?

Lim: Our events are so different, it’s hard to compare even though changquan athletes always think that taiji is easier. But I personally think that both events are equally challenging in their own aspects.

Q: What is the one piece of advice you got from your spouse that is important for you in sport?

Tan: At our age where we are more prone to injuries, we always remind each other to train smarter, not harder.