Born to be a warrior
A YOUNG medical cadet constantly joins endurance races because she loves pushing herself to the limit and conquering obstacles.
And it is due to this passion that National Defence University of Malaysia (UPNM) student Ruth Ting Xianxian emerged champion of UPNM’s Warriors Challenge 4.0 in the elite category for the second time, clocking in at two hours and 15 minutes.
“My strength is in the obstacle challenges.
I love them,” she adds.
She says it’s not easy being an athlete, an army cadet and a medical student at the same time but it certainly is worth it.
The bubbly 23-year-old says she’s always been a fan of endurance and obstacle race courses.
In fact, the long-time athlete has taken part in almost 50 races to date and has a wall covered in mock cheques, trophies and medals at home.
In 2019 alone, Ting has already taken part in six races and challenges.
She’s been a member of UPNM’s Endurance Sports Club since 2014.
“I started my sports career in secondary school in track and field.
“When I entered UPNM, I began participating in triathlons, duathlons, half-marathons, and from there I pushed myself even harder to take part in the Ironman races,” she adds.
She says in 2016 and 2017, she competed in the Ironman Langkawi Malaysia Triathlon which took her 14 hours to complete.
She was the youngest Malaysian female to compete in the triathlon in 2016 and came in third place in the 2017 edition.
The triathlon includes swimming 3.8km, cycling 180km and running a full marathon, which is 42.2km.
Ting is an army cadet from Sepang and in the fifth year of her medical course but that does not mean she doesn’t have the time to train.
Despite her already hectic medical course and cadet training, she says she always finds time to do weight training and cardio exercises, for about two hours a day.
“I’ve fixed a pull-up bar, have a set of dumbbells and a sit-up bench in my house,” she says, adding that she frequents the gym to use the other equipment.
“It takes a lot of hard work to juggle between my studies, especially as a medical cadet and also my sports career.”
Ting says she trains in the evenings after a short nap after her classes.
“It’s very taxing especially if I have lectures the next day and need to stay awake,” she adds with a laugh.
She also says she’s very thankful to her family, friends and lecturers who have been supportive, including along the Warriors Challenge track.
She adds that she owes her passion for all things active to her sister, who despite having a knee injury, is still running long distance.
Ting says it is her mother who pushes her to excel in everything in life and to depend on oneself.
She says that her mother taught her and her five siblings the value of working hard because “life will never come easy.”
All of them have taken their mother’s words to heart as her two elder siblings received scholarships to study medicine and are now doctors.
She herself and her younger sister are also scholarship recipients while her youngest two sisters are in matriculation college and school respectively.
“It’s taken a lot of hard work to come to this point but it’s very satisfying.”
The daily physical training as an army cadet was what helped UPNM first year Bachelor of Defence Human Resource Management students Sylvester Balang Ima and Aiman Mukhrif Zainon prepare for the race.
The 19-year-olds say they did not need to squeeze in additional training to get in shape for the 11.2km open category.
Their early morning training begins at 6am and has them either running or swimming to keep their bodies in shape.
Then it’s straight to classes before playing sports in the evenings.
Another first year student Nur Syazwani Mohamad Shukri, 19, felt she could handle the gruelling obstacle course.
It was the hill challenge that got to her, she says, as the rain from the night before made the track very muddy and slippery.
In fact, she was one of many to slip and fall älong the track but that did not stop her from soldiering on and finishing the race.
All three of the army cadets did not receive any prize besides a finisher’s medal but the race was still worth it because of the fun they had.
The fourth edition of the military-style obstacle race saw nearly 1,200 people sign up from various private agencies, higher education institutions, uniformed bodies, as well as UPNM staff and students.
“Sports is a universal language that connects people regardless of their origin, background and religious beliefs,” says UPNM vice-chancellor Lt-Jen Datuk Abdul Halim Jalal on Oct 19.
“I hope everyone here will experience and enjoy the exciting track in this year’s Warriors Challenge,” he told the participants before the flag-off.
To show support for the race, Youth and Sports Ministry secretary-general Dr Waitchalla R.R.V. Supiah also competed together with other ministry staff.
Minister Syed Saddiq Syed Abdul Rahman even took part in the open category for the second year running.
“Such is YB’s dedication in supporting the Warriors Challenge here in UPNM,” says Abdul Halim.
This year’s race is one of the key events of the National Sports Month.
For the 11.2km open category, there were seven challenges, beginning with 4km of cross country, crossing a lake, obstacle course, rocky mountain hike, cross the viewpoint challenge, logs challenge and finisher challenge.
The 22.1km elite category had participants going through nine challenges, namely climbing hills on campus, crossing the viewpoint challenge, climbing Bukit Besi, 8km cross country, crossing a lake, rocky mountain climbing, logs challenge and the finisher’s challenge,
Cash prizes amounting to RM5,250 were given to the first five elite category participants who crossed the finish line.