Media Feature : FUNd Times "Women Who Make A Difference"

Source:  http://www.nccs.com.sg/Giving/enews_fundtimes/Pages/SeptIssue14.aspx

Rachel has the privilege to be featured as one of the "Women who make a difference" in this issue of FUNd Times, an e-newsletter published by National Cancer Centre Singapore. 

Here's the detailed interview :

Powerpuff Power! The X-Bionic Venus Run 2014, Singapore

The X-Bionic Venus Run 2014 was my second all-women run. The first being Great Eastern Women's Run 2013 (in November 2013) - my first ever race! 

An all-women run is very unlike any normal races. Competitive runners aside, you'll see more leisure runners and walkers. While some hardcore runners may shy away, many of us still love the fun and glee in such events!  

Why not? Let me list down just few perks of such all-women events :

• rewarding race packs (most of the time)
• exciting (you should compare the different number of activity booths between a normal race event and an all-women event!)
• run for good cause (for fellow women)
• fun (most people ran with a great smile, happiness is contagious!)
• run with friends; make new friends (you hardly see any loner)
• less stressful (what PB?)
• a good start (many women start running from all-women events and progress to other races)

For me, the biggest perk in this X-Bionic Venus Run has to be my husband being there for me! He had to re-schedule his own weekend training to be there. He had to be my driver. He had to be my porter during the race. He had to be my event photographer. He was my human vending machine when I was feeling thirsty. He's my unofficial 'coach'. He's the man!

On this International Women's Day, it was meaningful to have him to be there to celebrate with me, really.

The man behind Power Rachel!

Although there were few mis-communications during the registration and race-pack collection process, I must say that the organiser Singapore Athletic Association (SAA) did a fantastic job! The best being able to secure X-Bionic as the event title sponsor, benefitting all women participants with the best ever race pack (including compression top, pants and socks)! 

To add on to the already "most generous race pack", X-Bionics was giving runners a pair of socks of their choice by turing up in race attire!  

This event was definitely a bonding time for sisters in the family! 4 of us signed up together. From registration to race day, we'd done it together! This day was especially meaningful for Magdalene as it was her maiden run. We were happy to be there for her and looking forward to see her join us in more running events.

The Sisters-in-Law Happy in Pink!

The flag off time for the run was supposedly 5 p.m. Many turned up as early as 2.30 p.m. to enjoy the fringe activities at the race site. There were free health screening, photo booth, sporting sales and even mobile photo-session with hunks! The most patronised had to be the X-Rewards redemption booth whereby participants could get their pair of free socks. Many ladies changed into the new X-Bionic socks immediately. How cool looking!

Battling the Scorching Heat with thousands of Powerpuff Girls!

The scorching heat on Saturday afternoon was our only complaint to the event. We were already perspiring way before the run. Perhaps, there's the reason to start at this hour? To let us sweat and then "turn sweat into energy"? A slight adjustment on the event run time would definitely be appreciated. 

Otherwise, everything else was fantastic! The music was good, the emcee was entertaining, the ladies were responsive and happy moods afloat. Being a one year breast cancer survivor myself, I was really happy to see fellow survivors leading the mass Zumba during the warm-up session. These ladies simply looked great! I wish I could join them some day!

Zumba-ing with our Breast Cancer Survivors! You'll only see such mass warm-up in an all-women race!

Arrival of Guest-of-Honour : Mdm. Halimah Yacob. Women's Pride!

The flag-off took place as soon as the Guest-of-Honor, Mdm. Halimah Yacob (Speaker of Parliament) arrived. No time wasted. Everything swift and orderly. Beaming faces took off from the start line. There was no turning back! The ladies were moving forward in powerpuff power! 

Not forgetting to thank the men behind us!  Thanks for being there for us!

The Generous Title-Sponsor : X-Bionic "Turn Sweat into Energy". Good Job! We Remember You! Simon asked if the guys can have them too? Photo taken by him when the ladies were running.

The Finisher Medal 

Medals waiting to be claimed at the Finish Line.

Enjoying my run despite the heat and haze. Thanks to my loving husband for patiently waiting and identifying me amongst the sea of pink ladies!

Simon was there again! Waiting for me to cross the Finish Line!

The happy sisters re-united after the race. Doris (Simon's sister) a seasoned runner, and I happy to be there for Magdalene (wife of Simon's Brother) at her maiden run. Running is contagious! 

Running is Contagious! Happy to be Contagious! Wonderful to have a photo-booth on site.  The ladies loved it!

As this was a short 5 km run, there's not much I could mention about the en route scenery.   I finished my run in a slow 44 minutes as I did not want to push myself in the heat, haze and my bruised purple toe nails. Thanks to the sponsor for being so generous with drinks at the finish point! We thank the lovely volunteers too! 

My observation was that - every woman looked happy. Be it the super fast athlete, the slow-walking grandma, the young student, the pretty lady, the tired auntie, the excited kid or the sick girl that was being wheel-chaired, the energy was positive! And that made us beautiful!