42-year-old marathoner of Singapore Jasmine Goh (Photo: https://seagames2021.com/news) Hanoi (VNA) - 42-year-oldmarathoner of Singapore Jasmine Goh will be one of the oldest runners competing at the 31stSoutheast Asian Games (SEA Games 31) in Hanoi, according to the national organising committee for SEA Games 31.
Marathon is one of thesports where experience and endurance can defeat youth in harsh competitionsthat require both physical strength and will.
The female marathoner wona ticket to SEA Games 31 after completing the "sub3" tournament (complete a marathon under 3 hours) with a time of 2:56:36 at the Zurich Seville Marathon inearly February this year. This proves that age is justa number.
"I started runningkind of like a birthday present to myself. I think one of the push factorswas that I had put on some weight after childbirth," recalled Goh.
"I think a lot of mothers and women do this – putting the healthand needs on the back burner because we focus on our families so much.”
Goh said that she wantedto show her kids that if she has a goal, works at it and commits to it, then shewill reach her goal.
"I didn’t run when I was younger,” Goh said.
She clocked her first run of 2.5km.
"It was quite hilarious when I started," she said, adding thatshe was actually not happy with the distance.
“A lot of people do their first run and they say it's so uncomfortableand they give up.
“I think also because my kids were my motivation factor. I didn't wantto give up so easily, I wanted to show them a new me in time.”
Witnessing Goh's currentability, no one would have thought that her running career started quite late. Goh's first marathon came months aftershe decided to pick up running. She was 32 at the time.
At the 2015 SEA Games, Goh was in the crowd at East Coast Park asSingapore's marathoners pounded the pavement.
"It was just nice to see them inaction. I was thinking to myself, what an honour to represent your country. Andto be honest, I think Rachel See, Neo Jie Shi, they were also in their 30s. AndI was like, I'm also in my 30s. So what is stopping me from having a shot, achance at this?", she recalled.
In2017, Goh made her debut at SEA Games in Kuala Lumpur and she got fourth.
Goh said she worked very hardto have a chance to attended SEA Games 31.
"I can use my story toinspire people to aspire towards sporting dreams. And I don't want them tothink that you have no chance just because you're 42," she said.
Goh's goal in Hanoi is simple – doing her best for Singapore.
At SEA Games 31, Goh will meet strong athletes of the Philippinesand the host Vietnam.
The marathon tournament willtake place on May 19 at the My Dinh National Sports Complex in Hanoi. The Vietnam marathon team consists of four athletes - PhamThi Hue, Hoang Thi Ngoc Hoa, Hoang Nguyen Thanh, and Le Van Tuan.
Theregional sports event, themed “For a Stronger Southeast Asia”, is being held inHanoi and 11 nearby cities and provinces from May 12 to 23.
Featuring 40 sports, SEA Games 31 is expected to attract around 10,000 participants. Thebiennial event was initially slated for late 2021 but delayed due to theCOVID-19 pandemic.
Vietnam has registered 965 athletes, including 534men and 431 women, who are set to compete in all 40 sports at the Games,striving to win 140 gold, 77 silver and 71 bronze medals and secure the topplace./.
