SINGAPORE – Even as thousands of athletes made their way through the AIA Hyrox Singapore course at the National Stadium on April 5, Carolyn Soemarjono was hard to miss.
Dressed in a blue singlet with polka dots and a name tag that read “Hyrox Grandma”, the 57-year-old cancer survivor stood out with a hairband featuring pink wool-wrapped hair curlers and a fake pearl necklace – all in the spirit of her nickname.
Competing in her second Hyrox Singapore event, the Australian grandmother of two tackled each station with a smile even when fatigue set in, eventually completing her women’s open race in 2hr 56sec to place third in the 55-59 age group.
“When you’re racing, it’s nice to have some feedback from the crowd and they’re not going to give feedback if you’ve got your head down,” said the Singapore permanent resident of her set-up and upbeat manner during the gruelling race.
“They’re only going to give feedback if you’re doing something silly or smiling, so for me, it’s a positive energy thing.”
But the professional photographer’s exuberance stood in stark contrast to a year ago, when she struggled with her mental health during a stressful period in her life.
She was unhappy with her appearance and how she felt after gaining weight, and medical checks also revealed high levels of visceral fat – dangerous, metabolically active fat stored deep within the abdominal cavity, surrounding internal organs like the liver and intestines – and showed she was pre-diabetic.
The turning point came when the Body Fit Training (BFT) Tanglin gym opened near her home.
Initially, Soemarjono attended classes two to three times a week, but began going to the gym six days a week as she enjoyed the sessions.
Over time, she lost 10kg. But apart from becoming fitter, she also found a community.
She said: “Initially, it was just going and doing exercise. Then it was building on the social aspect – people at the gym, inspiring each other was another positive thing.
“Then going to Hyrox was just another level again, it was a community goal and interest, and all of those things built on providing a positive mental-health feeling.”
Soemarjono then took part in her first Hyrox event in Singapore last November.
