We next turn the spotlight on local teacher Sharon Tan, 2019 SCSM national champion in our Standard Chartered Singapore Marathon 2022 Go Beyond series
In 2019, she pipped Jasmine Goh in the race to be crowned as Standard Chartered Singapore Marathon local female champion.
That win, coupled with success in a host of other local races since 2016 makes it easy to forget that teacher Sharon Tan struggled to even complete 3km when she first began running in 2008.
That year she came together with two of her friends from junior college to challenge themselves to go beyond by taking part in mass participation events. Starting with a 10km race, she got hooked and eventually took on a half marathon and full marathon before the year ended, and has not looked back since.
Her running journey has not been without its fair share of challenges however. For Sharon, the biggest drawback and battles she's had to face has been with injuries, a reality she had to face once she became a competitive athlete and started training at a much higher intensity.
"In 2016, I fractured my left distal fibula (ankle). I was out of the sport and couldn’t run for about three months. Since I couldn’t run, my lifestyle suddenly became very sedentary. Gaining weight was inevitable as I struggled through periods of emotional eating. To be honest, it was probably the darkest time of my life," she shared.
"What got me through was my love for running, which kept me going when things got tough. To get back up on my feet, I joined a running group and trained under a coach. In the process, I managed to rectify some unhealthy habits, refocus and set goals for the future. It was a whole process of rebuilding. But the friendship and camaraderie that I share with my running mates made everything easier much more bearable."
In any given week, Sharon would clock three (3) key workouts, with two faster workouts at above race pace as well as a long run ranging from 20km - 36km. On other days, she would run easy or rest and does little cross training as she doesn't really cycle or swim well.
While she prefers to run solo, Sharon finds occasional group runs enjoyable too as it allows her to catch up with friends.
Outside of running the educator finds great fulfillment in her work interacting with her colleagues and students, which she terms "heart-work" and "hard work", making the school a home for her.
"Witnessing the growth in students as they mature over their school years is very gratifying," she shares. "Teaching is not a bed of roses. Challenges would be things like meeting deadlines for marking and setting papers, collecting homework from students… but they are all part of the job."
While Sharon has competed in over 10 Standard Chartered Singapore Marathons, her favourite memory is the 2019 evening edition which she emerged as local champion.
She hopes that more people will pick up running in the local community, with less comparison and more encouragement. Who knows? You may just bump into her along some of her favourite running routes around the Yishun, Seletar and Yio Chu Kang neighbourhood.