Christina Rossetti, a poet once said “For there is no friend like a sister in a calm and stormy weather; to cheer one on the tedious way, to fetch one if one goes astray, to lift one if one totters down, to strengthen whilst one stands” describes perfectly the relationship between Eleen and Eryn. Akin to Serena Williams and her sister Venus Williams, these 2 sisters are on their path to carving their names in Malaysia’s running records.
“If we didn’t run, it wouldn’t feel right. It’s in our blood to run, if we missed a running practice, it would feel like we missed an essential step in our routine”, the two smiled. Have you ever witnessed a Bengal tiger in action, crouching, and its eyes intense waiting to pounce on its prey? Well that’s the look they possess when they run and that’s the fire that creeps through the veins of these two athletic sisters.
Introduced to running by her spirited elder sister, this shy tiny bodied fifteen year old was surprisingly the feared runner in her family. With a cheeky grin accompanied by her pigtail braids, she shyly mentioned that she was the fastest runner in the family, that even her older sister could not catch up to her. Behind that shy demeanor, a beast hungered for victory stirred deep within. All that shyness would disappear as soon as the gun takes off and as she crosses the starting line. She would be the most petite runner compared to most of the runners but there lied a look of unflinching determination and those eyes would be filled with zealousness and hunger for nothing but gold.
Hailing from the Gombak district in Selangor, Eleen began running at the prime age of fourteen since after all from little acorns do the mighty oaks grow. Having been registered in the race by her sister, from there on grew a prodigy. Truly a force to be reckoned with, most of her high school friends runs short distance so most of them are unable to catch up with this tiny bolt of lightning. If allowed, she would usually take the higher category because she hungers for more. If the junior category was not available, she would register for the women open category. Having participated in over 35 runs and, this young tigress is just beginning. Her elder sister added on that even boys could not catch up to her younger sister’s speed.
Currently, Eleen is focusing on MSSD (Majlis Sukan Sekolah Daerah) in which she will be competing against other athletes in her district. If she passes this stage, she will proceed onto competing against other athletes in the Selangor state and if she passes, she can compete internationally. Her dream is to be among the top four since the top four athletes would be selected to travel to Hong Kong.
