An interview with triathlete Sumiko Tan

By Les Tan

Sumiko Tan. (Photo courtesy of Sumiko Tan)

Whenever I scanned the results of triathlons or biathlons in the last five years, I would inevitably find a familiar name: Sumiko Tan. When I first noticed the name back then, my first thought was, “Wah, that Straits Times Life! editor sure can run, man.” I soon found out this was a very different Sumiko Tan. This Sumiko will leave most guys standing when she swims, cycles and runs in a triathlon. A Nanyang Technological University alumni, Sumiko is currently a Physical Education and mathematics teacher in Keming Primary School and when she’s not teaching, she coaches swimming. When she’s not coaching, she’s running. Every day.

Perhaps indicative of the fact that she’s always moving fast, Sumiko was born on the way to hospital in the car on the Benjamin Sheares Bridge. The organisers of the Sheares Bridge Run should give her lifetime free entry to that event.

Of course, I did the sensible thing and didn’t ask to interview her while she was running. To preserve my own dignity – because I for sure cannot keep up with this woman on a run, never mind talk while doing it – here’s the interview, done sensibly via email.

Red Sports: We notice that you’ve always placed highly in endurance sports in Singapore. What is the attraction of endurance sports for you?
Sumiko: The kick I get when I run, the amount of focus I put into the sport, the determination I have when I want to win a race. It just somehow makes me feel strong and be myself, to achieve something to a greater height. It also makes a major difference when my boyfriend is in endurance sports and supports me wholeheartedly. I also have a very good coach, Mr Guy Ogden, who plans my trainings and sets my aims for me for a whole of 2 years. This keeps my motivation moving as I know what I want to achieve from the next and upcoming race.

What got you started?
When I was in secondary school, I was overweight. I started to run twice everyday and cultivated a habit of running in order to lose weight. In my junior college days, my first running coach, Sim Ann Eng, bought me a road bike to encourage me to join triathlons. He believed that I would excel in this sport. His kindness and hopes for me have kept me moving till now.

Have you always been active since your school days? What sports did you play in school and did you represent your school? If so, which school?
I started swimming since the age of 3 years old and used to take part in inter-constituency swimming races. I have always been an active and adventurous girl since young. I represented my primary school - Nan Hua Primary School – in swimming, track and field, table tennis and Chinese dance competitions. I then represented my secondary school (Crescent Girls' School) and junior college (Pioneer) in the Inter-school Track and Field and Cross Country competitions.

Do you think Singaporeans are less rugged now?
Partially. Students of my days spend countless hours out in the field playing games and took part in several co-curricular activities. However, students of these days have only one or even no sport activities in their daily lives. Their emphasis is placed on studies, which in fact is very important and they find enjoyment now in computer games such as PSP.

However, if we make a comparison with the majority of the working persons involved in sports, we see a significant increase in the number of people taking part in events like triathlons, biathlons and 5km, 10km, half marathons, marathons and even ultra-marathons. It seems to me like Singaporeans as a whole are more willing to get involved in sporting activities, especially people of the middle age categories.

What’s your personal best for the: a) marathon, b) triathlon, c) biathlon, d) half-marathon e) any other endurance event you are proud of? Ultramarathon?
My personal best for (a) marathon is 3hrs 24mins 54seconds in Gold Coast on the 6th July 2008, (b) triathlon - Olympic distance is 2hrs 24mins, (c) Biathlon - 1hr 12mins, (d) Half marathon - 1hr 39mins, (e) Run Round Singapore event - 168km. I completed 100km though I had wanted to complete the whole route. However, I was badly injured with a sprained ankle before the start of the run. It was a real pity. I also took part in the NIE Directors' Relay in 2006 in which we ran from 9am to 9pm. It was really an eye opener event because we had to stay awake, work in teams and plan our race really well. In the end, my team won 2nd overall with a total distance of 177.6km.

Finish this sentence. If you couldn’t train, you would…
not be the Sumiko that I know myself as.

If the conditions exist and the opportunities presented itself, would you consider being a full-time professional athlete in Singapore?
Yes. I would consider training full-time if the training and allowance I receive allows me to cover my basic needs. This would be an ideal plan as athletes who wish to excel will love to have full support so as to fully focus on their training.

You’ve seen the endurance scene explode over the years. What do you think of it? The good and the bad.
Too many races planned back-to-back which disallows insufficient time for recovery. (Athletes need to plan and choose their races well!) Races are getting more expensive. The organization of races are not adequate at times and athletes like us sometimes get annoyed when we try our best at races but yet the organization just prevents us from doing it e.g. marshalls giving us wrong directions etc.

Sumiko’s best time for the full biathlon is 1hr 12mins. (Photo courtesy of Sumiko Tan)

Her best time for the Olympic distance triathlon is 2hrs 24mins. (Photo courtesy of Sumiko Tan)

Her best half-marathon time 1hr 39mins. You’ll find Sumiko usually in the top 3 position at triathlon events. If she doesn’t train, maybe only top 10 lah. 😉 (Photo courtesy of Sumiko Tan)

Sumiko ran the Gold Coast Marathon in a personal best time of 3hrs 24mins 54seconds. (Photo courtesy of Sumiko Tan)