INSPIRING FUTURE CHAMPIONS
Shahmalarani Chandran is anything but your average girl-next-door. She is a national karate champion, actuarial science graduate and aspiring teacher, who breaks from conventional archetypes with the kind of grace and confidence every young woman should aspire to emulate.
The 23-year-old took up karate at the age of 12, getting a latest art compared to her peers who had been in the sport since kindergarten. Despite the disadvantage, she went to the ASEAN Karate games (AKF) in 2016, impressive ly taking silver against her Japanese competitor. That same year, she sat for her SPM exams, scoring straight A’s.
“It was a ‘wow’ moment for me. I did not even think I could achieve placing. That was also the year I entered the national team, and it felt like my sports journey progressed to another level,” she admits, adding, “I wasn’t a star player in my younger days.” Since then, she has accumulated medals at t he South East Asia karate games (SEAKF), Budapest International Open and SUKMA, with more goals in mind for the future.
“Always follow your passion and make use of all the opportunities in your life ,” she advises. The young sparring athlete is grateful to her parents, crediting their support for having enabled her to try new things constantly .“I have been into sports since I was young, and not just karate. I was a long-distance runner. I competed nationally in Malaysian Schools Sports Council (MSSM) events. I tried netball, hockey and so on. I love everything about sports.”
Shahmalarani is open about having a role model that inspires her as a sportswoman. “I honestly look up to Datuk Nicol David. Squash may not be an Olympic sport, and so many may not appreciate her achievements as much, but they are truly amazing. She was the world number one for a record-breaking 108 consecutive months. It is something any athlete would want to achieve! Even after her career, she runs the Nicol David organisation and inspires many women. You do not have to look for anyone outside of Malaysia. I believe we have the best to offer, and she will always be someone I aspire to be like,” she elaborates.
Her commitment to sports is matched wholly by her fondness for academia. “I am not into academia for the sake of achieving top scores – I genuinely love seeking new knowledge,” she shares.
“Love what you do, and you will never struggle to make time for it,” she asserts. The young prodigy openly wishes for a clone, if only to allow her to discover more passions in life. “I don’t ever want to look back at my life and say, ‘I should have tried that.’ I’m happy instead to say, ‘It’s all right that I tried and failed,’ at least I got an experience to look back and learn from,” she explains.
Shahmalarani has spent the last five years teaching at private centres after starting her teaching journey at Taylor’s College. She was a Taylor’s Riser’s ambassador and became a peer tutor in the Peer-Assisted Learning
System (PALS). “I love to inspire people, and that is why I chose teaching as one of my professions,” the young teacher admits. “I’m planning to do my PhD after I complete my Master’s, and then venture into lecturing rather than actuarial science. I might teach actuarial science, but I would not choose to work at a desk job in the field,” she laughs.
Shahmalarani has always been aware of her knack for imparting knowledge to others. “During my SPM and primary school days, I would tutor friends who would approach me for help when exams were nearing. When I got to college and had the opportunity to teach, I knew I would be capable of it given my experiences in school.”
Knowing that the SPM 2020 students struggled with examination preparation due to the pandemic, she was motivated to help ease the burden. As a part of The Riser’s SPM Math workshop, she allocated three months to develop a colourful guide titled “Maths Mastery Tools” for SPM students to use as an engaging formula booklet, in addition to thoughtfully rehearsed online workshops.
The young genius has two goals in life. “In sports, I want to achieve the highest level. Athletic careers don’t last long, and in another ten years, my age may not support what I want to accomplish. As a teacher, I aspire to be someone that students can look up to and say, ‘I did well because her journey inspired me in this subject. I didn’t just learn to memorise formulas.’ I want to meet both goals. I know it is a lot to ask – but why not?”