1. YOUTH 23
theSun ON TUESDAY | JUNE 2, 2015
NextGen
TakingtheplungeplungeBY RACHEL LAW
W
ITH four years to
rehearse for her next
Olympics, you and I
would think that
Pandelela Rinong
Pamg would have taken a well-
deserved sabbatical of at least six
months after her historical win at the
2012 London Olympics. But the
Bidayuh athlete returned to train in no
time, having picked up several more
medals at regional and international
tournaments that followed.
“I started preparing for the 2016
Olympics two months after the 2012
Olympics wrapped up. Schedules for
competitions are packed year after
year. My coach would increase
training intensity a month before a
competition if not we’d head to China
for training camp which is harder and
cuts my Sunday rest to only half a
day,” said Pandelela.
As if her daily routine doesn’t
sound gruelling already. A typical day
for Pandelela begins at 7.30am where
she would train for up to nine hours a
day for five days a week. On the
weekends, the 22-year-old is kept busy
attending interviews and events.
Nonetheless, the modest young
lady remains spirited – especially at
the mention of her favourite K-pop
group BIGBANG – and shared her
hopes to learn a new diving
technique this year and qualify
for the upcoming Olympics in
Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.
“I’m also hoping to
receive more attention
and support from
sports officials and
sponsors so that the
diving scene in Malaysia
will continue to grow
and improve. On a
personal note, I want
to improve myself
spiritually and be a
better Christian,”
said the sports
science
undergraduate.
>Asneakpeekofaday
inthelifeofMalaysia’s
divingdarling
Enlighten us please: how
complicated is it to dive?
Diving is a closed skill (or self-paced)
sport that possesses similar
characteristics as gymnastics except
that you dive into the water. It requires
high concentration and strength to
execute somersaults and twists before
entering the water with minimal
splash while overcoming the phobia of
height and landing flat on the water.
Landing flat on the water is as
painful as being hit by a car.
You train for years for
that one shot during a
competition. How do
you deal with the
stress?
I have always been
challenging myself to take
risks and never give up.
Many failures come with
greater successes in the
future and all I need to do is
pray for patience and
God’s guidance.
Do you feel
pressured to bring
home a gold or
silver medal next
year, following
your impressive
achievement at
the 2012
Olympics?
Yes but
learning to
compete
under
high
pressure is good because it makes you
mentally stronger. It also motivates
me to improve my physique. It isn’t
impossible to win a gold medal for
Malaysia but I need a lot of support
from coaches as well as sports
associations and officials.
How do you usually celebrate
victory and respond to
criticism?
When there’s a win, I would share
the news with my family and
friends then take them and my
coaches out for meals. If I
didn’t perform well, I
would assess the
possible factors and
move on. I would
usually laugh off
unreasonable
criticisms and focus
on training harder.
It’s better to make
peace than hold
grudges anyway.
All-time favourite anime(s):
Samurai X, Beelzebub and Bleach.
Last search on Google: Her own
name.
Favourite desserts: Ais kacang,
green mung bean soup and ice
cream.
Recent film that made her cry:
Furious 7 (2015).
On her to-do list: Scuba-diving
and fly-boarding.
TRIVIA
Which professional diver do
you look up to most?
I admire (American diver) David
Boudia. He championed the 10-metre
platform diving competition during
the 2012 Olympics. He gives me a lot of
motivation whenever we catch up
during competitions. Like me, he’s
also a Christian.
If you were given a day to hang
out with BIGBANG, how would
you spend it?
Invite them over for a diving lesson,
especially T.O.P because I know he
loves to swim.
What are the foods that
tourists must sample when
they visit Sarawak?
I would definitely
recommend kolo
mee, laksa
Sarawak,
tomato mee,
kueh chap
and kek
lapis.
Pandelela was the first Malaysian
to win a non-badminton Olympic
medal and also the first female
Malaysian to clinch an Olympic
medal.
She learnt
swimming
when she
was eight
and joined
the national
diving team
at 14.
On her days
off, she enjoys
hanging out
with family and
friends, shopping
and catching a
movie.
ASHRAF SHAMSUL/
THESUN
EDITOR: Peter Yap E-MAIL: peteryap@thesundaily.com