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Today, Chow Ying is a multiple medal winner in adult figure-skating, both at local and international competitions. She describes figure-skating as a sport that "combines both technique and artistry". But while most skaters would have a coach for the technical side and a separate choreographer to help them with their programmes, Chow Ying departs from the norm by developing her own routines. Her coach only guides her on her skating technique, and she says she appreciates the artistic freedom of being her own choreographer.
"I know what I want to do, and in that way, I can take my time with it, and tweak my programme as I like," she explains. Chow Ying can use the same routine over a season of competition, but no two performances are ever the same.
Part of the reason for being so inventive is also out of necessity. Chow Ying participates in three to four competitions every year, most notably in The Mountain Cup held in France, and Vana Tallin Trophy held in Estonia, where she has won medals in both the adult free skate and dance categories. Yet, Singapore's only ice-skating venue is far shy of the Olympic-sized rinks she competes in on the international stage (Singapore's rink is 24m x 40m, an Olympic rink is 30m x 60m).
"I practise the individual components, and then piece them together when I hit the competition rink. I use regression to stretch it out, but not 'regression' like we would think of in statistics and mathematics. In skating, 'regression' means that when you skate a curve, you go more than a semi-circle - sort of making a U-turn. When I plan my programme, I regress in the small rink, so that I can then stretch it out in the bigger rink, " says the Cornell graduate, who holds a Masters in Mathematics.
Singapore's small rink is not the only bugbear of practising a winter sport in a tropical country. As the Fuji Ice Palace rink operates as a business, it poses a challenge to Chow Ying to find an appropriate time to practice and train.
"It's difficult to practise in the evenings, more so when I'm training my jumps and spins, since there will be recreational skaters around. Not everyone will know how to avoid you - some skaters will be beginners, just learning how to tread the ice. It's less of a danger to me than it is to them. I prefer an emptier rink," she says.
To avoid the crowds, Chow Ying has resorted to training on weekday mornings, which means stepping into work a little bit later than usual. She usually trains about three times a week, but closer to competition periods, her training sessions will go up to four or five times a week. DSO's flexible work environment has helped her in this regard.
"I'm thankful that my supervisor at DSO has been very understanding. Of course, I do make up for the hours by staying later as well," she explains.
Apart from competing regularly, Chow Ying gives back to the sport by coaching part-time on some evenings and on the weekends. Since 2000, she has been giving lessons, each session on an individual basis and lasting about a half hour. She is one of only three coaches in Singapore who are certified by the National Coach Accreditation Programme, and currently has 10 students who range from as young as three years of age, to older adults. She has also been involved in pushing ice-skating as a co-curricular activity into schools.
"All in all, teaching people of different ages, and planning for their goals, has helped me to become more disciplined in my own training. At the same time, it's nice to make a contribution to ice-skating's build-up in Singapore."
Her love of skating has also led her to form the Tropical Blades Ice Skating Club of Singapore (TBISC), a social network for fellow enthusiasts. "In the past, we have organised exhibitions where our skaters can perform, and also an 'evening of skating' where members of the public can come skate with us. In the last few years however, we really haven't had any activities on ice, because of the cost. We did have video parties though, to watch videos of elite skaters."
Chow Ying hopes to pursue greater heights in figure-skating, and wants to continue competing even 10 years down the road. For Chow Ying, the main draw of ice skating is the fact that it is constantly challenging and pushes her to achieve more. "The sport can really put you out of your element. But once you're out there, there's always more to it."
"That's the beauty of skating: the never ending variations and possibilities. There's no end point," she says. |