A highly-committed athlete in university lives a life of careful balance – planning training sessions in tandem with lectures and classes, managing an academic load while preparing for events and competitions, staying healthy in the face of daily physical and mental exertion, and weighing up which of the many responsibilities and commitments should come first in the limited 24 hours of a day.

Lucas Chew (Year 2, Environmental Studies) has been an athlete for most of his life, but this balancing act is still a consistent effort, so much so that he quips that his current role as a national finswimming representative feels like he is pursuing a double degree programme instead.

Finswimming is not a common sport in Singapore – so uncommon, in fact, that Lucas is the sole competitive finswimming athlete in the whole of NUS. It is a version of competitive swimming, where athletes don customised fins and snorkelling equipment to traverse the length of the pool at high speed.

“Over the past five years, finswimming has taken over more and more of my life. As a student-athlete, time and energy are always in short supply and require a delicate balance between school, sport, and sleep,” shared Lucas.

Janine (front row, second from left) with her teammates from the NUS table tennis women’s team at the Singapore University Games (SUniG) 2024/25.

While continuing to keep NUS’ flag flying at national competitions as a member of the varsity table tennis team, Year 3 Dentistry undergraduate Janine Chew has also set her sights on widening access to table tennis within the NUS community, and as a means of community outreach beyond the University.

Janine played a central role in organising community events, such as the NUS Racketlon, a two-day multi-sport competition event which aims to promote racket sports in a fun manner, with no minimal skill prerequisites, among the NUS community. The team also recently concluded the Learn-to-Play Table Tennis programme, in collaboration with NUS Office of Student Affairs (OSA) which organises sessions to teach NUS students basic table tennis skills. The programme serves as a stepping stone into the sport for participants who have no prior experience.

The time taken for meticulous planning and execution of these events comes into careful balance alongside schoolwork.  “Key factors that have helped me balance both my sporting and academic commitments would be discipline, time management and having a good support system,” reflected Janine.

“The chance to interact with individuals from diverse sporting backgrounds has broadened my perspective and showed me that there is so much more to sports than just competition; it is also about engaging the community around us. While I might get tired and drained at times, I am reminded of the joy that I feel when I see people enjoying the sport and this helps to push me through the tough times,” she added.

Supporting sporting excellence

Lucas and Janine both credit the NUS Sports Scholarship for helping to even out the scales as they balance their lives as student-athletes.

Every academic year, the University awards up to 20 bond-free sports scholarships to national athletes and outstanding student-athletes, which cover tuition fees and include an annual allowance and on-campus accommodation allowance. Awarded to students pursuing full-time undergraduate programmes at NUS, the scholarship is disbursed in two categories – Sports Excellence for national representatives such as Lucas, and Community Sports for athletes like Janine who have made significant contributions towards promoting active sports participation in NUS.

Janine expressed her appreciation for the NUS Sports Scholarship for helping her to pursue goals in both academics and sports without the constant worry about financial constraints.

“The NUS Community Sports Scholarship has empowered me to channel my enthusiasm for community engagement in sports by spearheading events and initiatives aimed at bringing sports closer to the NUS community. It allowed me to connect and collaborate with some amazing like-minded individuals who share a passion for sports and community engagement,” added Janine. 

Janine (centre, in black) and her teammates from NUS Table Tennis receiving the Sports Team of the Year (Individual Sports) (Distinction) at the NUS Achievement Awards (NAA) 2024.

Lucas was honoured for his sporting achievements in finswimming, as well as competitive lifesaving, with the Sportsman of the Year (Commendation) award at the NAA this year.

Sports support at NUS can also come in the form of subsidies for travel to overseas competitions, such as when Lucas travelled to Colombia recently to represent NUS and Singapore at the Finswimming World University Championship (WUC) 2024, which was subsidised by the U-SPARKS grant for NUS student-athletes who qualify for any World University Championships or Games. Seventy hours of travel time and some amazing local hot chocolate later, Lucas came home with not one, but three new national records for finswimming.

They can also consult the University when alternative arrangements to classes and exams are required, in consideration of overseas competition schedules.

“I’m appreciative of the scholarship for its all-rounded support, clear systems in place for communicating my goals with a sports manager, and the systemic perks of building my academic schedules around my training commitments so that I need not choose one or the other,” explained Lucas.

“We’re all in it together”

The athletic journey in NUS is not one of solitude; TeamNUS athletes are spurred on by the support of friends, family, coaches and teammates. They can also rely on a reliable team of sports managers at OSA, who wear many hats in their role of supporting athletes to pursue their sporting dreams.

Finswimming athlete Lucas Chew (right) has steady support from his sports manager Mr Lim Fang Yi (left), who was himself a competitive swimmer.

Despite being the sole finswimmer in NUS, Lucas has the unwavering support of his sports manager at NUS, Mr Lim Fang Yi, who was himself a student-athlete in the past. “Fang Yi has always had my back administratively in registering for events, such as the recent Finswimming WUC,” said Lucas.

A former national swimmer, Fang Yi recently returned to competitive swimming, clinching three gold medals at the Singapore Masters 2024.

“More importantly, he uses his own experience as a student-athlete and national swimmer to mentor me to develop myself in ways outside of purely sporting performance, but also in community service, leadership, and in balancing my personal commitments, among other things,” Lucas added, emphasising the well-rounded development that comes from stable guidance.

Janine (left) has expressed her appreciation for her sports manager Riley Tan (right) for her guidance alongside her sporting journey in NUS.

Similar sentiments were also echoed by Janine, as she reflected on her relationship with her sports manager Riley Tan. “I have received a lot of support from the OSA sports managers, especially Riley. I appreciate that they often check in on our well-being and provide us with advice and support, especially when it gets tougher to balance academic and sporting commitments.”

Janine also said, “Riley arranges for regular sessions for catch-ups and updates on our recent developments, providing us with timely feedback where necessary. She also helped to advise me on my future goals and discuss small actionable steps that I can take along the way. The OSA sports managers even helped to guide me in the planning process of my events!”

Recognising excellence, supporting students for future success  

NUS Dean of Students Associate Professor Ho Han Kiat, said, “Co-curricular space is part of the expanded classroom to develop students holistically in preparation for the future of work. Such opportunities allow our students to engage in activities that align with their passion, and to take it to the level in accordance with their motivation. Through such endeavours, students pick up life skills, sharpen their personal effectiveness and become more meaningfully engaged with the community.”

“Besides recognising their accomplishments in different aspects of student life, such as sports, arts and culture, community impact, scholarships are an institutional commitment that we esteem to see our students build themselves towards future success,” Assoc Prof Ho added.

This story was first published on 27 November 2024 on NUS News. Click here for more NUS News.