Rejecting a record attempt

Breaking a national record just to compete

Kerstin & Amanda’s shared Taoist link

Training on 3–5 hours of sleep & nosebleeds

Why full-time athletes can’t get credit cards

How are SG athletes funded?

It’s been about 10 days of excitement at the SEA Games, and Team Singapore has been going all out to make their mark.

Hurdler Kerstin Ong and swimmer Amanda Lim have returned home after their events and will join The Usual Place podcast to talk about their experiences in Thailand.

One is just getting started, and the other has bid farewell to the SEA Games stage.

Kerstin, 28, finally made her debut at the regional meet after a decade of trying to qualify.

But the race came with its own hurdle. The national records that she and fellow hurdler Ang Chen Xiang set in their respective events on Dec 12 were considered invalid due to timing system issues.

Meanwhile, Amanda won gold in the women’s 50m freestyle event.

Post-race, the 32-year-old announced that this would be her last SEA Games. It was her 10th outing at the regional meet, where she has won 21 golds, five silvers and two bronzes.

In this episode, I chat with Kerstin and Amanda about what went down during their events, what’s next for them, and the challenges of juggling training with work.

Highlights (click/tap above):

1:51 Kerstin's pov on the technical issues that affected her race timings

9:46 Amanda was gunning for gold at her last SEA Games

15:26 Amanda remembers her late father's impact on her swim career 

26:46 How these athletes juggle work, training and even nosebleeds 

36:40 We basically trying to survive: Kerstin and Amanda on funding most of their training

40:42 Why is it difficult for athletes to get funding?

Follow The Usual Place podcast on IG: https://www.instagram.com/theusualplacepodcast

Follow Natasha on LinkedIn: https://str.sg/v6DN

Filmed by: Studio+65

Edited by: Teo Tong Kai, Eden Soh and Chen Junyi

Executive producers: Danson Cheong, Elizabeth Khor & Ernest Luis

Editorial producer: Lynda Hong

Follow The Usual Place Podcast and get notified for new episode drops every Thursday:

Channel: https://str.sg/5nfm

Apple Podcasts: https://str.sg/9ijX

Spotify: https://str.sg/cd2P

YouTube: https://str.sg/theusualplacepodcast

Feedback to: podcast@sph.com.sg

SPH Awedio app: https://www.awedio.sg

---

Follow more ST podcast channels:

All-in-one ST Podcasts channel: https://str.sg/wvz7

Get more updates: http://str.sg/stpodcasts

---

Get The Straits Times app, which has a dedicated podcast player section:

The App Store: https://str.sg/icyB

Google Play: https://str.sg/icyX

--

#tup #tuptr

It&rsquo;s been about 10 days of excitement at the SEA Games, and&nbsp;Team Singapore&nbsp;has been going all out to make their mark.
Hurdler Kerstin Ong and swimmer Amanda Lim have returned home after&nbsp;their events&nbsp;and will&nbsp;join&nbsp;The Usual Place podcast to talk about their experiences&nbsp;in Thailand.
One is just getting started, and the other has bid farewell to the SEA Games stage. Kerstin, 28, finally made her debut at the regional meet after a decade of trying to qualify.
But the race came with its own hurdle. The national records that she and fellow hurdler Ang Chen Xiang set in their respective events on Dec 12 were considered invalid due to timing system issues.
Meanwhile, Amanda won gold in the women&rsquo;s 50m freestyle event. Post-race, the 32-year-old&nbsp;announced that this would be her last SEA Games.&nbsp;It was her 10th outing at the regional meet, where she has won 21 golds, five silvers and two bronzes.
In this episode, I chat with Kerstin and Amanda about what went down during their events, what&rsquo;s next for them, and the challenges of juggling training with work.
Highlights (click/tap above):
1:51 Kerstin's pov on the technical issues that affected her race timings
9:46 Amanda was gunning for gold at her last SEA Games
15:26 Amanda remembers her late father's impact on her swim career&nbsp;
26:46 How these athletes juggle work, training and even nosebleeds&nbsp;
36:40 We basically trying to survive: Kerstin and Amanda on funding most of their training
40:42 Why is it difficult for athletes to get funding?
Follow The Usual Place podcast on IG:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.instagram.com/theusualplacepodcast">https://www.instagram.com/theusualplacepodcast</a>
Follow Natasha on LinkedIn:&nbsp;<a href="https://str.sg/v6DN">https://str.sg/v6DN</a>
Filmed by: Studio+65
Edited by: Teo Tong Kai, Eden Soh and Chen Junyi
Executive producers: Danson Cheong, Elizabeth Khor &amp; Ernest Luis
Editorial producer: Lynda Hong
Follow The Usual Place Podcast and get notified for new episode drops every Thursday:
Channel: <a href="https://str.sg/5nfm?ref=inline-article" aria-label="link" data-testid="custom-link"></a><a href="https://str.sg/5nfm?ref=inline-article" aria-label="link" data-testid="custom-link">https://str.sg/5nfm</a>
Apple Podcasts: <a href="https://str.sg/9ijX?ref=inline-article" aria-label="link" data-testid="custom-link"></a><a href="https://str.sg/9ijX?ref=inline-article" aria-label="link" data-testid="custom-link">https://str.sg/9ijX</a>
Spotify: <a href="https://str.sg/cd2P?ref=inline-article" aria-label="link" data-testid="custom-link"></a><a href="https://str.sg/cd2P?ref=inline-article" aria-label="link" data-testid="custom-link">https://str.sg/cd2P</a>
YouTube: <a href="https://str.sg/theusualplacepodcast?ref=inline-article" aria-label="link" data-testid="custom-link"></a><a href="https://str.sg/theusualplacepodcast?ref=inline-article" aria-label="link" data-testid="custom-link">https://str.sg/theusualplacepodcast</a>
Feedback to: <a href="mailto:podcast@sph.com.sg?ref=inline-article" aria-label="link" data-testid="custom-link"></a><a href="mailto:podcast@sph.com.sg?ref=inline-article" aria-label="link" data-testid="custom-link">podcast@sph.com.sg</a>
SPH Awedio app: <a href="https://www.awedio.sg/?ref=inline-article" aria-label="link" data-testid="custom-link"></a><a href="https://www.awedio.sg/?ref=inline-article" aria-label="link" data-testid="custom-link">https://www.awedio.sg</a>
---
Follow more ST podcast channels:
All-in-one ST Podcasts channel: <a href="https://str.sg/wvz7?ref=inline-article" aria-label="link" data-testid="custom-link"></a><a href="https://str.sg/wvz7?ref=inline-article" aria-label="link" data-testid="custom-link">https://str.sg/wvz7</a>
Get more updates: <a href="http://str.sg/stpodcasts?ref=inline-article" aria-label="link" data-testid="custom-link"></a><a href="http://str.sg/stpodcasts?ref=inline-article" aria-label="link" data-testid="custom-link">http://str.sg/stpodcasts</a>
---
Get The Straits Times app, which has a dedicated podcast player section:
The App Store: <a href="https://str.sg/icyB?ref=inline-article" aria-label="link" data-testid="custom-link"></a><a href="https://str.sg/icyB?ref=inline-article" aria-label="link" data-testid="custom-link">https://str.sg/icyB</a>
Google Play: <a href="https://str.sg/icyX">https://str.sg/icyX</a>
--
#tup #tuptr

Natasha and her guests unpack the latest current affairs, every Thursday.

Synopsis: Join host and correspondent Natasha Ann Zachariah every Thursday live at noon, as she unpacks the latest current affairs with guests. 

Podcaster: Natasha Ann Zachariah

Executive producers: Danson Cheong, Elizabeth Khor & Ernest Luis

Editorial producer: Lynda Hong

A podcast by The Straits Times, SPH Media

Synopsis: Join host and correspondent Natasha Ann Zachariah every Thursday live at noon, as she unpacks the latest current affairs with guests.&nbsp;
Podcaster: Natasha Ann Zachariah
Executive producers: Danson Cheong, Elizabeth Khor &amp; Ernest Luis
Editorial producer: Lynda Hong
A podcast by The Straits Times, SPH Media

Advertisement