SEA Games: Jia Xin calms her nerves by listening to TikTok music
KUALA LUMPUR: Every athlete has his or her own way of dealing with the stress and pressure of top-notch competition.
Some prefer to listen to music. Some prefer to do light exercises. Some prefer to just close their eyes and drift into slumberland for a few minutes.
Frankly, it’s a case of whatever floats your boat.
National woman high jumper Ngu Jia Xin is no different. The 21-year-old, who will be making her SEA Games debut in Hanoi, Vietnam next month, is a big fan of the popular TikTok application to help her get over the nerves.
“I am very excited but, at the same time, am beginning to feel the pressure and kind of scared too as I’ve never competed in the SEA Games. But I like to listen to music on TikTok and rest as much as I can as they help calm my nerves,” she told Bernama.
Although this will be her first foray into the biennial Games, Jia Xin hopes to mark her debut with at least a bronze in Hanoi.
In fact, the youngster also hopes to improve on her personal best of 1.79 metres (m), which she did at the Perak Open in 2019, by clearing 1.8m in Vietnam.
Jia Xin, whose involvement in athletics began when she was eight years old, also said that her preparation for the 31st edition of the SEA Games was coming along smoothly, so far.
Apart from field training, she has also been going to the gymnasium more often - as many as three times a week - to improve her physical strength.
The Perak athlete not only idolises Tokyo 2020 Olympic gold medallist Mariya Lasitskene of Russia but also uses her as a guide inspiration en route to perfecting her jumping technique via YouTube”.