Wow! what fun it was.
It was a fun run with a purpose. It was an event that supported the cervical and breast cancer campaign collecting donations for patients who cannot afford the treatment.
It was conceived by Assunta Hospital and Championed by Jaya One, a commercial, retail and leisure complex with a heart.
My excitement started when my wife Vijaya made a royal annoucement that she will be participating in the Quacky Run with our daughther.You see the word exercise is french to Vijaya.... so that annoucment was a shock and awe tactic that confused me.
Should I be excited because for the first time I will be joined by my family for a run or should I be concerned that Vijaya would require medical and mental attention during the run.
Anyway.. I am a risk taker so I decided to take them with me.
Should I be excited because for the first time I will be joined by my family for a run or should I be concerned that Vijaya would require medical and mental attention during the run.
Anyway.. I am a risk taker so I decided to take them with me.
I was not too concerned about my daughter Vanshika. Because when I go for my jogs, 21 month old Vanshika actually runs with me for about 100 meters before she and her mom detours to the playground.
Ok... coming back to my excitement. I woke up 5.45 am and by 6.45 am we were on the road.
Ok... coming back to my excitement. I woke up 5.45 am and by 6.45 am we were on the road.
AT JAYA ONE
7.05 am I was parking my car at Jaya One for the Quacky Run .
To my delight and surprise, there were already 50 over fun runners walking around and chatting with others.
Thats when I met Johnson, I approached him becasue he had a great big smile and a friendly aura about him.
Thats when I met Johnson, I approached him becasue he had a great big smile and a friendly aura about him.
We started chatting and he shared with me that he is a businessman with 3 daughters and takes part in as many runs as possible.
He does this because of the healthy lifestyle and the fun he has with friends and family.
He does this because of the healthy lifestyle and the fun he has with friends and family.
A few minutes later, two beautiful women came up to me and asked if I was The Orange Man. I said yes and we took a group photo.
PY and Swee Bee shared with me they take part in runs like the Quacky Run because it is fun, community and charity based, meeting friends, feeling healthy and doing something constructive on the weekend.
PY and Swee Bee shared with me they take part in runs like the Quacky Run because it is fun, community and charity based, meeting friends, feeling healthy and doing something constructive on the weekend.
At sharp 8am, the race started and about 900 of us walked and jogged with friends and family.
It felt special having the opportunity to do something fun and healthy with my family
and on top of that meeting friends and making new ones.
Normally, I would be in the organizing of the event but now I have been phased out by my partner and younger brother Nithi stating that I am getting too old.
(thats him in the blue top).
Bullocks man... I can outrun you anytime.
Sorry. i digress.
THE QUACKY RUN
The 4.5km route was easy and flat. From Jaya One, it was a left turn at the Rothmans roundabout, straight pass the Cold Cold Storage (on your right hand side) , right turn at the major traffic lights, pass the famous and always crowded Chinese Restaurant by the roadside, right turn heading towards University Islam (on your right hand side) and then back to Jaya One.
During this time I met a few more people, one of them is the Chia family consisting of the grandmother,mother and little daughter. I chatted with them as I whizzed past them pushing my daughter in the prem.
At the halfway mark, I met Uncle Teo. I should have just let him be because he was panting to introduce himself to me. He was there with his son who was lagging behind.
As I ran further I was getting more thirsty.
Thank God it was a cloudy day... and boy was I happy to see a drink station.
Now I can understand what a drink station means to a long distance runner. And I am only doing a 4.5km distanc and a fun run at that.
If you think I am bad.. making a drama out of 4.5km run. Look at the photo below.
As I ran further I was getting more thirsty.
Thank God it was a cloudy day... and boy was I happy to see a drink station.
Now I can understand what a drink station means to a long distance runner. And I am only doing a 4.5km distanc and a fun run at that.
If you think I am bad.. making a drama out of 4.5km run. Look at the photo below.
She was too shy to give her name. Probably embarassed too.
By the time I reached the final 50 meters I was getting buggered. I was happy to see the finishing line.
By the time I reached the final 50 meters I was getting buggered. I was happy to see the finishing line.
My legs were tired but finished strongly like a true olympian because I saw a cameraman (Lim) taking a photo of me pushing my daughter.
With my ego in tact and being the first father and daughter team to finish in a record time in a non competitive run where nobody cared I enjoyed the thrill of victory.
With my ego in tact and being the first father and daughter team to finish in a record time in a non competitive run where nobody cared I enjoyed the thrill of victory.
Oh yes.. my wife also finished the 4.5km with her friend Assunta (not the hospital) in an unknown record time.
I am proud of her for completing the distance in the middle order.
"BRO, WHAT ARE YOU DOING?"
Anyway.. something I observed is that when you are running with others, you will be surprise on how much easier it is to complete the distance.
If I had tried running the same distance on any other day alone my mind would said" Bro, what are you doing? Your days of being an athlete is over. Wake up and smell the roses maan"
But today, I ran the whole distance in good speed
"WHAT IS THIS UNCLE DOING?"
As I was walking around taking a rest, I was still hot and sweaty from the race. I walked past the dunking machine and enjoyed looking at the kids throwing balls and trying to dunk the guy on the machine. I was thinking I should dunk the kid. Then I had a WOW! moment.
What if I was the guy getting dunked. That sort got me excited and asked the guy if I could replace him. He was more than happy to be replaced.
As I was taking my shoes off and struggled to get onto the machine.. I could see the kids who were gathered around the machine looking a bit puzzled.
"What is this uncle doing?" I heard a little 7 year old asking his 12 year old brother.
So I got on top and sat on the machine and shouted out loud enticing people to try to dunk me. The catch was to donate any amount before you try to dunk me.
I am proud of her for completing the distance in the middle order.
"BRO, WHAT ARE YOU DOING?"
Anyway.. something I observed is that when you are running with others, you will be surprise on how much easier it is to complete the distance.
If I had tried running the same distance on any other day alone my mind would said" Bro, what are you doing? Your days of being an athlete is over. Wake up and smell the roses maan"
But today, I ran the whole distance in good speed
"WHAT IS THIS UNCLE DOING?"
As I was walking around taking a rest, I was still hot and sweaty from the race. I walked past the dunking machine and enjoyed looking at the kids throwing balls and trying to dunk the guy on the machine. I was thinking I should dunk the kid. Then I had a WOW! moment.
What if I was the guy getting dunked. That sort got me excited and asked the guy if I could replace him. He was more than happy to be replaced.
As I was taking my shoes off and struggled to get onto the machine.. I could see the kids who were gathered around the machine looking a bit puzzled.
"What is this uncle doing?" I heard a little 7 year old asking his 12 year old brother.
So I got on top and sat on the machine and shouted out loud enticing people to try to dunk me. The catch was to donate any amount before you try to dunk me.
I could see parents quickly giving their children some money just to dunk me. Even Vijaya and Nithi also took turns to dunk me.
Nitih paid others to dunk me. And dunk they did.
In any way possibly, some who did not dunk me with the ball hitting the bull's eye actually went over to the bull's eyes and pushed the contraption until i got dunk.
Nitih paid others to dunk me. And dunk they did.
In any way possibly, some who did not dunk me with the ball hitting the bull's eye actually went over to the bull's eyes and pushed the contraption until i got dunk.
So I got wet, cooled down and the kids had fun.
Any way we all had fun.
Any way we all had fun.
JAYA ONE FOR THE PJ PEOPLE
Then.. i dried up and walked around taking more photos and thats when I interviewed the Director Jaya One, Charles Wong.
Charles is the son of the CEO and owner of this commercial, retail and leisure complex Mr. Wong Chee Kooi.
I asked Charles, first time dad to a 1 month old daughter Anya, why is Jaya One doing the Quacky Run and this is what he had to say.
"From day one Jaya One had the vision to be part of the community, part of the neighbourhood. At the age of 14 I lost my godmother to cancer. Then my grandparents and my favourite aunty also succembed to cancer"
"From day one Jaya One had the vision to be part of the community, part of the neighbourhood. At the age of 14 I lost my godmother to cancer. Then my grandparents and my favourite aunty also succembed to cancer"
"Ever since at a young age, I would participate in charity events specifically related to cancer. Then when this opportunity came to my dad and I through Assunta Hospital, we just grabbed it because it means so much to us."
He shared with passion that he always want to be involved in campaigns that supports the prevention and the cure of cancer.
Jaya One wants to be part of the neighbourhood and the slogan is "Jaya One for the PJ people"
He shared with passion that he always want to be involved in campaigns that supports the prevention and the cure of cancer.
Jaya One wants to be part of the neighbourhood and the slogan is "Jaya One for the PJ people"
BE BOLD, BE BRAVE AND TAKE CHARGE
The other person I met while I was getting ready to head home was Mr. Choy Wah Wei, the CEO of Assunta Hospital.
He was there with his daughter Choi Chuu Khaa.
He was there with his daughter Choi Chuu Khaa.
This is what he had to share with us on healthy lifestyle,cervical and breast cancer.
"People must exercise 3 times week as part of a healthy lifestyle."
"Did you know that 7 to 10% of Malaysian women find lumps on their breast when they do the breasts test?. They could be cancerous. International average is that 5% of the women's population has breast cancer and it is on the rise"
"All this can be controlled and reduced by early detection. For cervical it is pep smear and for breat cancer is the breast tests for lumps."
"These cancers can be completely cured by early detection".
"People must exercise 3 times week as part of a healthy lifestyle."
"Did you know that 7 to 10% of Malaysian women find lumps on their breast when they do the breasts test?. They could be cancerous. International average is that 5% of the women's population has breast cancer and it is on the rise"
"All this can be controlled and reduced by early detection. For cervical it is pep smear and for breat cancer is the breast tests for lumps."
"These cancers can be completely cured by early detection".
"So my message is: BE BOLD, BE BRAVE AND TAKE CHARGE"
CAPOEIRA
The other surpirsing thing that happen after the race was the demonstration of the Brazilian Self defense art call Capoeira.
I have got some photos and videos on it. The sensational moment when this little kid came on board did his stuff.
I have got some photos and videos on it. The sensational moment when this little kid came on board did his stuff.
CELEBERATING LIFE
But that excitment and experience and joy did not end at the Jaya One venue. The experience of having done this fun run on Sunday 25th October continued when i had brunch with my family. My wife and I were high spirited, felt light and felt energetic.
So energetic that as i got home I started to write this blog.
In summary, if you were in my joggers today...you will feel closer to your family, you would have celebrated life, meet friends and made new ones.
You would have had fun walking arounf PJ, smiling at strangers and making them smile. Enjoy Brazillian culture. Contribute to charity and do something healthy.
You would have had fun too.
So energetic that as i got home I started to write this blog.
In summary, if you were in my joggers today...you will feel closer to your family, you would have celebrated life, meet friends and made new ones.
You would have had fun walking arounf PJ, smiling at strangers and making them smile. Enjoy Brazillian culture. Contribute to charity and do something healthy.
You would have had fun too.
hooHA!
THE ORANGE MAN
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