\n<\/p>\n
When it comes to raising the level of the sport’s publicity from a corporate perspective, Thiruben may sound like he talks a big game. But as a superb, disciplined athlete in his own right, he walks the talk each and every day.<\/p>\n
He trains twice a day: Mondays, Thursdays and Saturdays are reserved for track work, and gym sessions fall on Tuesdays and Fridays. Long runs of about 30 to 60 minutes fill the gaps in between.<\/p>\n
Sundays are his only complete rest days. There are no late nights and no fast food; his social life comprises time spent with his training crew and dinner with his girlfriend once a week.<\/p>\n
I asked if it \u2013 all of it \u2013 hurt.<\/p>\n
“(After) years of training at such an intensity, your body just adapts to anything,” he said.<\/p>\n
Then he adds, deadpan: “Or maybe I’m just perpetually tired to the point it doesn’t register anymore.”<\/p>\n
It’s easy to forget Thiruben is training at this intensity on top of his full-time job.<\/p>\n
Nevertheless, he’s aware that the flexibility afforded to him by his work is a rare gift.<\/p>\n
“I think not many athletes in Singapore \u2013 because we’re all balancing school and work \u2013 train as frequently as I do. It’s only because I don’t have to report to work at a fixed hour, so it’s allowed me to train a full-time athlete’s training load.”<\/p>\n
But everything nearly fell apart seven years ago.<\/p>\n
At 17, he became the fastest schoolboy ever in the 800m, broke the national U18 record in the 400m to qualify for the semi-finals of the World U18 Championships, and made his SEA Games debut.<\/p>\n
It was to be onwards and upwards from that point on, but a mere one year later at the age of18, Thiruben tore his hamstring in training during his final year at National Junior College.<\/p>\n
His plans to break new records had to be shelved.<\/p>\n
“It affected me a great deal mentally and I became depressed not knowing how to deal with the disappointment and the loss of identity without my sport,” he said.<\/p>\n
“I always saw myself as \u2026 an athlete training towards something. Suddenly not being able to (train), that was a big blow.”<\/p>\n<\/div>\n