At intermittent seasons of her life, Ang Kee Sim had sidelined her passion for sports and the outdoors to pursue a career and motherhood.
It wasn’t until her forties that her athletic prowess began to resurface when she joined her children for Aikido classes. This mother-and-child bonding exercise gave Kee Sim a surge of adrenaline as she progressed quickly up each level until she attained her black belt.
“I felt that, at 40, I should do something. I also brought my children to hike with me up Gasing Hill. Kids would not like tough hikes so I made it fun to motivate them by allowing them to walk into the river to get their feet wet,” Kee Sim remembers.
Today, her motivation to get them interested in physical challenges has culminated in her daughter Colleen Augustin, 26, being an International Mixed Martial Arts Federation Asian Champion and Spartan SGX-certified coach. Her son Nicholas Augustin who is into Muay Thai also practices MMA.
“The children learn discipline from practising mixed martial arts and this is an important element to build their foundation. Discipline is something we practise together. If I sent them to sleep at nine I would also sleep at nine and start the day early at 5 am.
“When Colleen was 12 and Nicholas 11, we hiked Mount Kinabalu. I used that hike to teach life lessons to the children. If they could overcome the obstacles they would also make it up there even though some people may go up faster than others,” Kee Sim said.
One with nature
Kee Sim, 58, a financial controller with an international corporation, applies this to herself as nature has always been a healing element for her heart. “Sometimes, I would tell my staff at work that it was time for me to hug a tree. I would encourage my team members to come along to hug a tree when they are tired. It would help to rejuvenate them,” she laughed.
She hikes Wawasan Hill every Friday regardless of rain or shine and whether anyone would turn up to go with her.
Menopause
“Some days I may not be able to do my best because I am tired but I will still do it. When I am tired I would tell myself so long as I can get from the bed to the toilet it would be a step forward and I would take it a step at a time from there. I need to show up,” Kee Sim struggled through the physically and emotionally paralysing symptoms of menopause.
“I am faced with a situation where I am no longer able to do the things I did before menopause. I get tired easily but I tell my coach about my limitations.
“I come here to do what I can and not what I used to do. I used to be able to hike very fast but during menopause, during those transition periods, hiking up was so hard. But I tell myself I’m not going to stop. Once I stop I will become rusty.
“People who can continue at a faster pace let them go. I will continue at a pace that I can manage. If I can’t run because I injured myself I would communicate that to whoever is working with you. If you cannot squat as low as the next person, it’s fine. I am not afraid to tell them that I can’t.
“Embrace the limitations of your body and respect that and do whatever you can just don’t stop.
“Anything is better than zero.”
Winning the Spartan Race
Her relentless determination led her to win the Spartan race for her age group in Singapore last year (2023). The victory is so much sweeter this time because she overcame the effects of menopause and went anyway to compete.
“But I no longer want to participate in these kinds of races. I am more into exploring places and mountains. When you race you run, in a hurry you can’t see anything.
“By walking, hiking and trekking I have a more fulfilling experience. I want to prolong my mobility rather than cut it short by pushing myself to do the things I used to do before. I need to listen to my body.
“The hot flushes from the menopause are still ongoing but I have learned to slow down to see more things differently. Colleen is my trainer but now I train for my fitness and reflexes and I guide other people in hiking.
“I realised my response rate has slowed down. To maintain my alertness and because of my love for martial arts, I like the training that requires me to respond according to instructions. I believe this is a good exercise to keep mentally alert as I age. This is not for participating in competitions. I advocate this to people my age. We need to continue to work at it to maintain that mobility.
“Like resources in life, work with what you have or what your body can do. If you need walking sticks, use them. Encourage each other,” says Kee Sim who hikes or trains every day and spends Sundays helping and motivating others to keep moving. – JE Tan
