first things seem impossible. then it becomes difficult. then it is done.
impossible, difficult then done. how many times have we talked about wanting to do the impossible? how many batches have been called the dream team? how many teams have been said to be stronger than ever? we have been called all those at one time or the other, have dreamed the impossible at one point or the other. but how many times have we really put our minds together to doing it?
today, i want us to think about something very simple:
team.
together as a team, we will carry each other's dreams, we fight till the end for each other, for the people we love so much. every sacrifice will be worth it when the fight is over. when the last man crosses the finishing line and the last medal given out, we will stand tall as giants. together as a team, we will do the impossible.
people say winning is everything and it is true. people don't remember the way you row a race. they only remember who wins the race. they don't remember how close it was; only who won. but those people are not the people you know. they are not your friends. they are not your teammates. they are not your family. they are not the people that you love or love you. to those people winning is everything; but to everyone else
fighting is everything.
we come from a proud heritage. canoeing has been in raffles since the 1980s. not every single batch wins, but every single batch keeps on fighting. this is why we still stand today. when we row, we don't represent just ourselves, we represent each and every one of the batches that have gone before us and that will come after us. the sweet victory may not come in our batch or the next batch or even for tens of batches but if we keep fighting there will be a day where raffles will be crowned champions and there will be a time where we will win and keep winning. and when that time comes, not only will that batch be glorified but every single batch before that them be glorified. this is our history. this is who we are. we are Raffles Canoeing - fighters till the end. if we give up the fight today, we will lose our chance to rise from the ashes and grab glory.
when we go out there on 8th july and row our races for raffles. i want you to remember that you are carrying the dreams and hopes of not just yourself but of every single Raffles Canoeist that was, is and is to come. it is not easy but we will be there for each other. we will become each other's pillar of support. we will fight till the end together.
"we will be like ducks.
when the storm comes and thunder roars, ducks stick together."
- Mighty Ducks
so, lets prepare ourselves for one last chance at glory guys. lets grit our teeth and pull each other through till the very end. lets put in the 100% strength into every single stroke, cm, inch for each other. lets not give up but fight on for each other.
i ask you now, if you are willing to step up and put your heart onto the line for the person standing beside you, for the person rowing in front or behind or beside you, join me and let us fight the best fight ever and it shall be forever remembered that we, the batch of 2008, never gave up and stood up against giants and became champions.
i hope it helps you guys to put things into perspective.
and this
train hard guys. lets give in everything we have and rip our enemies apart. show them no mercy for they will most certainly give you none. great athletes become great through sheer hardwork and determination. there is no shortcut and no other way. it is time to bring your committment and take it to the next level. take your committment and make it a leap of faith.
can you put everything on the line for this team? for your goals? for our dream? if you can, show me the fire and the desire in your eyes and put in that 100% effort 100% determination 100% resolution in every stroke, every set, every timing, every inch.
its not whether we can or are able to, it is a question of how willing you are ?
hey guys, i just watched some show and this thoughts came to me so yeah i just wanted to like share it with whoever still views this blog.
do you still remember the first time we canoed? the exhilaration that you felt when you stepped into the boat and managed to row your first 500m, 1000m, 2000m, 2000m timing? i guess many of us have forgotten what that felt like. when we first "met" canoeing, all of us loved it and wanted to row because it was fun, it excites us and we didn't care whether we were slow, fast, capping, stable; we just kept rowing cause it was all we wanted to do. but everyone started getting absorbed into the competition. when we started rowing for medals, placing, we became afraid of making mistakes, canoeing became a scary thing. a thing that must be done perfectly. i guess i made this mistake too. but i know now, i should row because i really want to. and i know i really want to. i've been doing it for so long yet i know it still excites me. it still feels really good to be in a boat and this is going to be what that will drive me on. i want to keep rowing cause i want to keep feeling that joy. i hope that everyone of you who reads this post will try and remember the first time you guys came for training and canoed. the fun. the rush. the excitement. the anticipation and the fulfillment. but most importantly, the joy. and keep that joy in your hearts guys. and for this last 5+ months till July, let's row our hearts out. let's not be afraid to make mistakes, let's row because we love rowing not because we are always pressured to perform. let's not dwell on our mistakes but always look forward to the next training cause we really love rowing. let's not be inhibited by our fear and let our true potential shine through. no more regrets guys. raffles!
hey people! for those who didn't know, the canoeing world championships ended recently so yeah go look for the videos on youtube or flatwater.info. they are really nice(: can pick up some tips too about the way they row and yeah.. stuff like that! enjoy (:
anyways, i can't scan the stupid thing into the computer. my scanner is screwing around with me. so yeah, i will just type out the chain. you just have to send the msg on to the next person in the chain yeah? simple.
chinyee - eugene bong - SH - Shawn Lim - Mohandass - Kenneth - Willie - Xinda (end) marcus - aaron - hong chen - liang jie - justin - jerome - victor (end) kennedy - brian - michael - marc see - nathan - jeremy - greg(end)
okay so very simple right? okay , last thing to take not, the people at the end, meaning mr zai, victor and greg, must send the msg back to me. (:
hey guys, ten more days. i believe most of us are feeling the pressure already. for those who got a lucky draw, congrats but don't lose focus and think its going to be easy. anything can happen during a race so be prepared.
anyways, for those who are still very blur... those competing are: liang jie - T1 500m sheng hao & marcu - T2 500m eugene - k2 500m chinks & victor - C2 500m
hey, all of us are rowing 500ms. lol, anyways okay back to proper business.
okay, some things to take note yea?
1. don't neglect nutrition. drink plenty of water and eat normally. no point trying to pump food that is high in protein or whatsoever. just eat normally, and try to avoid oily food and chilli and stuff like that. i trust that you know all these le la. yea?
2. like what KY says, its going to take as much physical strength as mental strength to win it. 90% of the race depends on how far your training have brought you; but the last 10%, that last 100m, its going to depend on how much you want it. you've got to show that you want it, show them your hunger and desire to win!
3. do ALOT of visualization. alot of athletes dismiss this crucial part of preparation for competition. so yeah, everybody, before you sleep each night, think about your race. control your breathing, slow it down; visualize the environment - the people, the water, the trees; imagine yourself at the start line. pumped up, eyes on the finishing line. ; the sound of the siren, your burst. perfect from practice.; imagine each stroke. the power of your stroke. your boat gliding. your arms are burning with pain but it doesn't matter. you are used to it. you welcome the pain.
yeah, basically, i want to stress the important of mental preparation. its possible for anybody to screw up. so prepare well mentally and don't be that person. alright, ten more days to nationals. all those competing train hard. its the last stretch. time to show the world what RAFFLES CANOEING is made of.
here's a video to pump yourself up for tmr's training! (:
for all those who still return to this blog. here's something to ponder about:
life is like walking down a dark tunnel. sometimes, we cannot see the light at the end of the tunnel. at times like these, we got to hang on to the faith that at the end, all will be worth it and put one foot forward at a time and walk on. champions are made when they say "no" to failure. are you going to say "yes" to failure now?- just because the light at the end is obscured and dim. guys! let's not give up and carry on fighting. to me, raffles canoeing is the epitome of tenacity and this is what our team is about-fighting all the way to the end. at the start line, everyone is equal. and what differentiates you from the rest at the end, is not the talent you have, nor the experience, nor the boat you row; it is the amount of hardwork you have put it, the desire burning within you, the hunger to do your team proud, the determination and the tenacity to press on. that is what determines the result of a race. to become a champion, you must do what others are afraid to do, you must train harder than the hardest other people train. it is daunting and scary but we must push on with courage. and this courage comes from within and around us. we must believe in our own ability; we must draw strength from our teammates and press on because we know that right beside us, is another member of our team giving their 100% effort for the team.
guys! we row not for ourselves; we row for the people we love. we row for Raffles Canoeing! R-A-F-F-L-E-S! RAFFLES ROW! RAFFLES ROW! RAFFLES ROW!
hey guys! it's eugene here! the ng one. yeah, just dropping by our blog. and well, for my first post, here's a wallpaper i made: enjoy(:
anyways, all the best to the 5 of us that are competing this sat&sun. chinks, nathan, deb, bernice, it's your first competition in canoeing but well, it is definitely not the last. it might be daunting but don't worry, we will do just fine. we may be juniors but we must never let that stop us from doing our best. don't be afraid of your opponents and let's show that what is it like rowing against a rafflesian canoeist. must always remember that you are not alone. you've each other; your partner and your team behind you. trust in yourself and your partner. (: we will do fine! let's do our best for RJCanoeing! RAFFLES ROW!
Luigi
Marcu
Bowser
Kennedy
Willie
Kee Guan
Xiao Bai Cai
Vic
Bong
Greg
Michael
Maggie
Mohan and das
Xing Da
Jerome
Jeremy
Hong Cheng
Powderman
Eugene
Feng Shuo
Nehthan
Beng Hong
Marc
Aaron
LJ
Shawn
AhD
