David Sim wanted to be the first guy to have managed and run the Standard Chartered Singapore Marathon. A bit like Franz Backenbauer being the first player/captain and manager to win the FIFA World Cup.
So with that intention in mind David started his dream in 2005. At that time he was with Singapore Sports Council. That’s how he got into the management of the Sing Stan Chart. His passion for marathon started during this time.
Now fast tracking to the current time.. I met David on the eve of the run for lunch. He bought lunch for Nithi (my brother), Prem and I.
So with that intention in mind David started his dream in 2005. At that time he was with Singapore Sports Council. That’s how he got into the management of the Sing Stan Chart. His passion for marathon started during this time.
Now fast tracking to the current time.. I met David on the eve of the run for lunch. He bought lunch for Nithi (my brother), Prem and I.
David is very personable guy and friendly. You will take a liking towards him immediately.
We were chatting and he told me he was running in the 21km this year with his wife Yi Li.
Coincidentally, he met Yi Li a few years ago and thought she was hot. Well.. she still is. I met her.
Anyway, they were friends for some time. During that time David encouraged her to pick up running. Now Yi Li is a running enthusiast whose Personal best (PB) for the Sing Marathon is 4hrs 15mins. Meanwhile David’s is 6 hours and bit.
His worst timing is 8 hours 20 mins. This is where the story gets interesting.
His first attempt of Stan Chart marathon began with a 6 months of intensive training for him and Yi Li (who had become his girlfriend by now).
He did all the right things (according to him) and on the eve of the marathon, he had laksa somewhere in Singapore for carbo load. He had not eaten there before so he thought he would give it a try. Like me, he is a self confessed curry laksa connoisseur.
We were chatting and he told me he was running in the 21km this year with his wife Yi Li.
Coincidentally, he met Yi Li a few years ago and thought she was hot. Well.. she still is. I met her.
Anyway, they were friends for some time. During that time David encouraged her to pick up running. Now Yi Li is a running enthusiast whose Personal best (PB) for the Sing Marathon is 4hrs 15mins. Meanwhile David’s is 6 hours and bit.
His worst timing is 8 hours 20 mins. This is where the story gets interesting.
His first attempt of Stan Chart marathon began with a 6 months of intensive training for him and Yi Li (who had become his girlfriend by now).
He did all the right things (according to him) and on the eve of the marathon, he had laksa somewhere in Singapore for carbo load. He had not eaten there before so he thought he would give it a try. Like me, he is a self confessed curry laksa connoisseur.
Later in the day, he was experiencing anxiety of a different kind. It was not a "can I actually complete the 42km?" anxiety. It was more like "why is my stomach doing the Saturday Night Fever dance moves?".
Oh!Ho!.... diarheorra time. He had food poisoning and spent the night having a marathon of the smelly watery kind.
But because he was determined to take part in his first marathon, he and Yi Li started the marathon amongst other thousands of people.
He ran the first 15 km and the rest of the journey was a story of "liquid matter over mind". Because he was also dehydrated due to the diarheorra he suffered from cramps and his body was collapsing on him as he continued his journey of extreme pain.
He shared with me that to avoid the pain he walked sideways, backwards, eagle legged etc. Many a times he just wanted to just collapse and give up.
I asked why he did not just do that. "I stuffed it up for my girlfriend who trained for 6 months". "She joined this running so that she we can do this together but I let her down. My guilt alone would not allow me to stop and give up". "The greater love is the fact that Yi Li gave up her race to walk to be with me all through my journey of completing the marathon"
"It took more than 8 hours for us to reach the final stretch and what a welcome it was. There was champagne being popped and my friends were cheering us on. The MC played Simple The Best by Tina Turner. It was one of the most humbling experiencing in my life". "I am so touched by Yi Li who stood by me."
"I cried at the end of the marathon. It was very emotional for me. To see David go through that kind of suffering because he did not want to let me down". "And I sacrificed my race for him". "It showed us that we will be there for each other".
David's second attempt of doing a marathon was more romantic. He did not inform Yi Li that he was going to run. Yi Li by now was an ardent runner and was training for the marathon. David didn't.
On the marathon day, he informed her that he was running and asked her to wait for him at the finishing line in case she finished earlier than him. She finished 2 hours before him. So she waited and waited and waited.
Finally David turns up at the finishing line. Goes up to her and drags her to a quiet spot… and guess what?
He PROPOSED to Yi Li. Right there at the Standard Chartered Singapore Marathon. He had the ring wrapped up to avoid the his sweat wetting it. Put it in a pouch that he strapped around his waist through the marathon.
Oh!Ho!.... diarheorra time. He had food poisoning and spent the night having a marathon of the smelly watery kind.
But because he was determined to take part in his first marathon, he and Yi Li started the marathon amongst other thousands of people.
He ran the first 15 km and the rest of the journey was a story of "liquid matter over mind". Because he was also dehydrated due to the diarheorra he suffered from cramps and his body was collapsing on him as he continued his journey of extreme pain.
He shared with me that to avoid the pain he walked sideways, backwards, eagle legged etc. Many a times he just wanted to just collapse and give up.
I asked why he did not just do that. "I stuffed it up for my girlfriend who trained for 6 months". "She joined this running so that she we can do this together but I let her down. My guilt alone would not allow me to stop and give up". "The greater love is the fact that Yi Li gave up her race to walk to be with me all through my journey of completing the marathon"
"It took more than 8 hours for us to reach the final stretch and what a welcome it was. There was champagne being popped and my friends were cheering us on. The MC played Simple The Best by Tina Turner. It was one of the most humbling experiencing in my life". "I am so touched by Yi Li who stood by me."
"I cried at the end of the marathon. It was very emotional for me. To see David go through that kind of suffering because he did not want to let me down". "And I sacrificed my race for him". "It showed us that we will be there for each other".
David's second attempt of doing a marathon was more romantic. He did not inform Yi Li that he was going to run. Yi Li by now was an ardent runner and was training for the marathon. David didn't.
On the marathon day, he informed her that he was running and asked her to wait for him at the finishing line in case she finished earlier than him. She finished 2 hours before him. So she waited and waited and waited.
Finally David turns up at the finishing line. Goes up to her and drags her to a quiet spot… and guess what?
He PROPOSED to Yi Li. Right there at the Standard Chartered Singapore Marathon. He had the ring wrapped up to avoid the his sweat wetting it. Put it in a pouch that he strapped around his waist through the marathon.
Yi Li was completely surprised and she said "YES".
The rest is history and they are happily married to each other.
Sports brings people together and you never know when the flame of love gets ignited.
The other moral of the story is that don't simply eat laksa anywhere!!!
hooHA! David and Yi Li.
The rest is history and they are happily married to each other.
Sports brings people together and you never know when the flame of love gets ignited.
The other moral of the story is that don't simply eat laksa anywhere!!!
hooHA! David and Yi Li.
THE ORANGE MAN
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