27-28 March 2010NTU's 55th anniversary
Singapore Longest Endurance Run
Record breaking 218KM in 36hour
Stephen Lim Nghee Huat (林义发)
Nantah Class of ‘75
Age: 56
Occupation: Editor, Chinese Current Affairs, MediaCorp
Endurance is the hallmark of Stephen Lim’s life-long
sporting achievements. He zeroes in on the most extreme
endurance events around the world and is still going
strong, even at 56.
He was once ranked among Singapore’s top five triathletes and has taken part in many extreme races around the world eg. the Sahara Marathon, Dead Sea Marathon, Hawaii Ironman World Championships and the World Triathlon Championship in Australia. Four years ago, Stephen tasted victory in Run Round Singapore 2005 with a time of 24hrs 44mins. But that was for a shorter distance of 168 km. It only whetted his
appetite for more. In 2007, he ran the extreme 217 km Death Valley Challenge in a punishing air temperature of 53°C, hot enough to melt the glue in a runner’s shoes. He finished the the race in less than 52 hours and helped raise $200,000 for charity. In 2009, Stephen came in at 26th position in one of the most extreme 217 km marathons in the world – the Badwater World Cup 2009 held in Brazil, a feat most men half his age don’t dare to think about, let alone try.. And now he’s gunning for the 218 km Run Round Singapore challenge.
Yong Yuen Cheng (杨渊菁)
NIE Class of ‘97
Age: 38
Occupation: Teacher, National Junior College
He wears his passion for endurance sports like a badge of honour, and willingly instills the same fervour in others, inspiring them even as he teaches them the finer points. Yong Yuen Cheng runs, bikes and kayaks extreme distances, often for charity. He has endured and conquered numerous marathons in Singapore and overseas, such as the Death Valley Challenge and the Gobi March. To prepare for the coming Run Round Singapore Challenge, Yuen Cheng will be taking part in the Thar Desert Run in India during the December holidays.
Yuen Cheng’s passion extends beyond his own training into coaching and inspiring others to achieve similar feats, which is true to his calling as a teacher. He believes that everyone, even if they are convinced they are just ordinary people, are capable of achieving extraordinary things. He draws this conviction from his own experience in running. He started out neither fast nor talented but by dint of serious planning, thorough preparation and personal sacrifice, he has achieved extraordinary feats in various endurance sports few men
can dream of. When he first signed up for Run Round Singapore 2005, the 168 km looked daunting and he doubted he could overcome the physical challenges of the run. But with total dedication to his training, he came in second for that quadruple marathon. He has not looked back since, taking on even more challenging races overseas.With all those races under his belt, Yuen Cheng now trulybelieves that there is no limit to the human spirit and hopes more people especially the younger generation will strive to realise their fullest potential. And the 218 km distance that Run Round Singapore presents is just another challenge to conquer.
I caught Melvin Lee and his supporter at the West Coast road around 1.15pm on second day on the home run stretch.Congrats to all the three who finished.
