The courage to continue is what counts.
- Hoon Mei Sim
- TV Host and Singer
Mei Sim suits up and runs the distance that seems incredibly difficult to finish. Envisioning the finish line, she is motivated to push herself to cross that 100km mark.
I NEVER SAW MYSELF DOING what I’m doing now. When I was younger, I was an introvert. I would just stay in my room. I wanted to be a psychologist so I completed a degree in Psychology. I only started becoming more outgoing when I was 18. I joined the first season of Project Superstar as a contestant. This sprung from my love for singing, besides wanting to just try out and see how I would do.
MY PROJECT SUPERSTAR EXPERIENCE was great. I was only 18 and I just tagged along with my friends, but it ended up with just me, as they did not make it past the audition stage. It was a great experience, and I soon got an offer to star in a TV drama series. My parents were supportive of my career, but said that I had to go through the university no matter what. So, just as my singing career was launched, it had to be shelved for my studies.
I USED TO BE sporty when I was in primary school. My favorite sport is playing badminton, and I used to run the 4x100m relay races. When I stepped into secondary school, I stopped playing sports and focused more on playing music. I can play the cello.
I GOT BACK INTO RUNNING in 2010 whenever I have friends to run with me. For me, I run for fun. I don’t run to compete and win, but more for the purpose of challenging myself. I like the challenge of running long distances, and I’m becoming addicted to it. The first race I did was 11km at the Energizer Night Run 2011. I would train by running 6km on Tuesdays every week, for about a month before a race.
HIKING BECAME AN INTEREST because I found it fun and challenging. My first ultra trail run was the Ultra Route 68 2015, and I finished it in 12 hours. Among the first trail runs I took part in was the Perhentian Island Challenge in 2011 (PIC). I would participate with my friends. They motivate me to keep going and cross that finish line. I’m looking forward to running the TransLantau 2015 next!
MY INVOLVEMENT IN RUNNING is nothing competitive. I’m just a casual runner and I’m still learning a lot about running from my friends. I have a friend who runs and trains with me. He always motivates me every time we go running together. Now I am motivated to finish any race that I take part in and not give up. However, I don’t know how many more competitions I will take part in, but I give myself maybe around 3 years more.
THE APPAREL I USE FOR TRAIL RUNS is anything from Salomon. I am sponsored by World of Sports with shoes and apparel. The Salomon shoes are very comfortable when doing trail runs and they have very good traction so they keep me safe. Since I am very interested in trail running, products like these are very useful for me.
I’M GADGET-FREE. At the moment, I don’t think it is important to have them because I’m running just for fun, but maybe I will need them in the future.
I LOOK UP TO Kilian Jornet Burgada. He is a Catalan ski-mountaineer and a long-distance runner. Not only that, he is also known as the world’s best trail runner. Kilian is a Salomon ambassador.
WHAT I WANT TO ACHIEVE IN 2016 includes participating and completing two ultra trail runs—the TransLantau and the Borneo TMBT Ultra Trails. Even if I know that I lack training, like keeping a consistent pace, with my strong mentality, I know I can motivate myself to finish the race. I want to be able to inspire more people to join ultra runs like this.
