Singapore’s wakeboarding star athlete
Image credit: @sashizuu
On the surface, Sasha Christian appears to be your typical young, fit and lively Singaporean. Having just begun schooling at SMU, she shows up for project meetings with her peers in cartoon T-shirts and slippers. Free and easy, flashing her charming smile and putting on no airs whatsoever.
What she holds to her name, however, are a multitude of medals, the title of Singapore National Wakeboard Champion from 2004 to 2008, and clinching gold at the 2009 Asian Wakeboard Championships. This makes the homegrown darling our very first Asian wakeboarding champion, and this whole journey started when she had barely learnt how to walk.
The road to becoming a champion
You could call it destiny. Coming from a family who loved watersports, Sasha was always around that environment. She dipped her toes into the scene with some water skiing as a mere toddler, but by the age of five, wakeboarding was the one that stole her heart.
Her streak of victories has continued in recent years with gold medals in wakeboarding at the SEA Games 2011, 2015, and 2017. Behind the glitz and glory is a personal journey of self-discovery, no doubt riddled with challenges. From fatigue to injury, Sasha has had her fair share of moments where nothing seems more tempting than giving up.
Her solution to get back on track? There is no magic formula, neither does forcefully willing herself to snap out of it do any good. Only when she takes a step back and remembers what set her on this path in the first place, does she realize that these stormy waters are worth conquering.
From a dream to a reality
Image credit: @sashizuu
We often perceive star athletes as superheroes of some sort, detached from the rest of humankind and completely unrelatable. Extraordinary as their talents and capabilities may be, it all stems from a passion.
Surrounded by supportive friends and dedicated coaches enabled her to push her boundaries. Sasha’s accomplishments are an example of the astonishing feats one is capable of achieving our sunny little island.
In fact, growing up in Singapore, it’s easy to take a lot for granted. The communities that exist within each sport and the exceptional attention to safety are details we benefit from and that make Singapore such an excellent hub for adrenaline junkies and sportswomen like Sasha.
Xenia challenges Sasha – at wakeboarding!
TSL’s very own Xenia Tan – who’s usually an avid fan of land-based sports such as touch rugby – challenged Sasha in her very first wakeboarding session. Although initially apprehensive, Xenia fell in love with the sport big time by the end of that session
Giveaway: Share your story with us!
We believe stories like Sasha’s deserve to be shared, and we want to hear if you know of any inspiring sportsmen/sportswomen or adrenaline junkies. So here’s what you’ve got to do:
- Comment on this post or DM Xenia telling her about a sports lover/adrenaline junkie you know of in Singapore, who has an inspiring story
- Include the hashtags #PassionMadePossible and #VisitSingapore
- If your story gets chosen, Xenia will contact you by 18th October 2018.
Xenia will personally interview and feature your recommendation, while you get treated to an action-packed, one of a kind experience. That’s right, the person submitting the winning story gets a free private wakeboarding class for 2 from Sasha Christian herself – plus a SandBox VR experience for 6!
If you adrenaline junkies haven’t yet heard, SandBox VR is considered one of the most immersive and exhilarating virtual reality experiences available. So get cracking now and comment on Xenia’s post with an action-seeker’s story that’s worth sharing.
Check out Xenia’s post here and start recommending your most inspiring stories!
This post was brought to you by Singapore Tourism Board.