A-Level student, a Top 5 female distance freestyle swimmer

Cambridge A-Level programme student, Hayley Ng was involved in the Malaysia Open Swimming Championships 2023. Here’s what Hayley has to share with us about her participation in the competition:

I had a delightful experience competing in Malaysia Open 2023 as a distance swimmer. 

During this meet, I achieved new personal best times and I'm currently listed as the Top 5 female distance freestylers in our country.

Notably, what really stood out this time was finding warmth and happiness competing with my friends, especially after being struck headfirst with constant stress and loneliness entering the new year.

This was one of our few meets since the 2-year pandemic that we had international swimmers flying from different countries to compete with us here in Kuala Lumpur.

Meeting new people, hearing their inspiring journeys, and understanding their different backgrounds really opened a new refreshing start to my knowledge of the sport.

It made me realised just how much swimming has brought us— significantly, how it allowed us to connect with other bright young souls with the same passion for the sport. 

I am truly grateful for opportunities like these, as it brings us to be a part of the wider swimming community worldwide and foster friendship with such amazing individuals. Being able to witness this within the short span of the four days in this meet was enough to remind me that I'm never alone in this journey.

It is well-needed times like these that push us to continue to do what we love, and to remind ourselves that each of us has our own different story to share at the end.