By Mark Lim
Feature image credit: Singapore Canoe Federation
Following our previous story celebrating Max Maeder, the homeschool community is rife with sharings about other homeschooling athletes. From 4 to 7 July 2024, athletes from Singapore took part in the 2024 South East Asia Canoe Sprint Championships (SEACC). Homeschooler Yan Ho Ming En was one of 37 athletes who flew the red-and-white flag for Singapore. Together with his teammates, 17-year-old Yan won Silver medals in the Junior Men K4 1,000m and 500m and the Junior Men K2 1,000m competitions. Mark Lim from Homeschool Singapore spoke to Yan about his experience.
Mark: Tell me more about the SEACC in Vietnam. What was it like to compete on the world stage? How does this competition compare to others you’ve participated in?
Yan: SEACC isn’t my first international competition, so while the experience was unique, it wasn’t entirely unfamiliar. Racing overseas always feels surreal and exciting. With the usual nerves accompanying every race while racing for the SEACC this time, I strongly desired to perform to the best of my ability. I wanted to achieve results that would make my country, my team, my coaches, and everyone who has supported me proud. It would be a testament to the efforts that I’ve put into competing in Vietnam.
Mark: What do you think was your greatest challenge there? And what about your most outstanding achievement?
One of my most significant challenges during SEACC was myself. For reasons I cannot disclose, I found the team boat arrangements frustrating and struggled to adjust my mindset appropriately for the race. Regretfully, I allowed my emotions to affect my teammates during the training sessions leading up to the competition. Therefore, I am very thankful for their understanding and patience, as well as for the advice from my friend.
Arguably, an even greater challenge was committing everything to God. As athletes, we rely on things we can control to bring ourselves to higher heights. Letting God take the reins was difficult, but I was thankful for the peace that came with it.
This race marked the first time I stood on the podium, and the medals I earned are significant. However, having God with me throughout the whole experience—and knowing He was by my side—was my most outstanding achievement.
Mark: What other international competitions have you taken part in? How has it been for you?
I’ve participated in the Asia Pacific Sprint Cup (APAC) and the Asian Canoeing Championships (ACC). As my first international race, APAC was a fairly disastrous experience for me, but thankfully, the support I received allowed me to pick up the pieces and move forward. ACC was a much better experience and race. I had a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to race against the best canoeists in Asia and ended up 7th overall in the K1 500m, missing out on a Finals spot by 0.4s.
Mark: How long have you been participating in competitive canoeing? And why the decision to do so? I understand you were involved in competitive chess previously. Why the change?
I started paddling just over three years ago and joined the National Junior Team in May 2023. I had never planned to participate in competitive canoeing, much less join the National Junior Team. I started paddling under ActiveSG Canoe Academy because I needed to exercise. One thing led to another; somehow, I found myself on the National Junior Team. I was previously involved in competitive chess, but unfortunately, to excel in chess requires a substantial expenditure of resources, which I was uncomfortable with. Additionally, I found it hard to integrate with the chess community.
Mark: As a homeschooler competing with other teens from mainstream schools, were there any difficulties? How did you manage?
Yan: I was the oldest athlete and only homeschooler, joining the team at 17, which is quite uncommon and typically doesn’t bode well for your future in the sport. Naturally, I was terrified of everyone else there. I held many of them in extremely high regard, which was quite a different reaction from the rest of the ’23 batch since they all mostly knew each other, partly from mainstream schools or local competitions. Some of those in my age group were friendly and tried to be inclusive, for which I am grateful. However, I still find it a little challenging to bond with the rest, as they all do and know things that I don’t, due to our different educational backgrounds. From a team and training aspect, there would always be difficulties competing with those in my age group, as they had been in the sport and the National Junior Team for a lot longer. I simply maintained as high a professional standard as possible during training while prioritizing training within reason. It’s safe to say that I’m finally on par with those in my age group.
Mark: Can you share how your homeschooling life has prepared you for choosing competitive canoeing as a sport?
Yan: I can’t say how homeschooling has specifically prepared me for competitive canoeing, but it has given me more flexibility and time to train. My parents, to whom I owe the bulk of my homeschooling, have contributed immensely to shaping my ethics and attitude towards training, as well as my role as a national athlete.
Mark: Do you have any words for fellow homeschoolers who think of representing Singapore on the world stage?
Yan: There is no sugarcoating here; it’s an arduous journey, so make sure you enjoy what you’re doing. The biggest killers of young and emerging athletes are burnout, fatigue, and the fear of not improving, despite consistently doing their best. It’s a constant fear I still struggle with, and it’s not something to be taken lightly. Hence, I came up with a training motto to cope with stagnation:
Homeschool Singapore invites the community to rally behind Yan’s journey as an athlete. We wish Yan and the Singapore team all the best in their future competitions! Follow Singapore Canoe Instagram account for their latest developments.
