200417.
IITDB. These 5 letter has grown to mean so much to me. From just wanting to try something new just for one time to burning my weekends on trainings to now being an alumni, it has been a long journey, but oh boy, what a great one it has been.
I honestly never felt very accepted - which was me being the lil' insecure girl I am, but I went for trainings weekly because I wanted to get a medal during regatta. I suppose it was because everybody had a friend with them, and I was in this thing alone - you know how you tend to stick with the friends you joined together/are more familiar with..? yeah that. I was always so quiet and shy - yes this is true, I'm not making things up.
I was also very unsure of myself. I always went for trainings thinking I'm mediocre - not the best, kinda of the worst in the team.
All these slowly improved - both how I felt weekly and my rowing - but the thoughts and feelings never fully faded away.
So, the first time I went back, 2 Sundays before regatta, I was very uncertain. I questioned my sudden decision to attend training over and over again, deemed myself insane, but I dragged myself out of bed anyway, hoping that it would be a good day.
That one decision I made that Saturday night, like how I decided to be part of this team 4 years ago, didn't fail me.
It somehow just felt so right. Never mind that I only knew 2 out of the 8 senior/junior girls I was rowing together with, I just felt so excited to be back in the boat after close to a year of not rowing, and I was so happy to be doing it all over again. I was reminded of how I felt rowing the past 3 years, the tiredness, the thought of wanting to die and never attending training again, but more importantly, the rush, the adrenaline, and the love for the sport.
My love for the sport may not be as huge as the others. I may not be insane over it to join external teams, and I have only rowed for (the most part) TP regatta, but I still love it.
Come the last Sunday training, and seeing and getting to row together with all the alumni, I knew I'm right at home.
Short individual thank yous, because not even paragraphs of words will be able to properly express how much I love you all. Mostly candids because us alumni are never serious anyway :')
Aliff,
Thank you. I really don't think I would have continued on in IITDB if not for you. You took a team and grew it to a family, to where we are now. Thank you for welcoming me back with open arms. You always make it feel like nothing has changed. I genuinely think that you're the heart of iitdb, and I know that this heart would never die.
Qinah,
I think we were closer than we were from Dreknar days etc (gosh those days), and I was happy to see you around again. You put in so much effort into the teams, even after you stepped down and graduated but I suppose it's true - once you are a captain, you never really step down from the role :')
Wanpeng,
We never really talked before, actually. Was I afraid of you? Maybe... HAHAHA. But you always offered a smile when you see me. Well, I think things got better after that day's lunch, and I'm glad. All your effort has paid off, and I think you're really amazing. From you drumming for my freshie boat to now rowing with you in the same boat... :')
Miao Ting,
Thank you for being in this with me all these while. I always had you to count on, and I know that you would continue being here. Trainings just won't be the same without you. Some things just don't change, like you rowing as if you're on steroids :') This is my favorite photo of us, love love love it.
Jazreel,
I like how our little cheer won't die, doing it perfectly, impromptu after a year. So happy to see you, felt just like the old days. You're super cute!!
Keng Teng,
The person whom I begun talking more just because we're both working at OCBC and always being so entertaining in the boat HAHAHA. It was great rowing next to you! We're both trying to do the letter O here cause O for OCBC. HAHAHA
Joanne,
No picture with you but.. :') From that time seeing you at salted caramel after a year (since last regatta) to rowing together with you on Thursday, talking to each other like it's nothing new (even though we never really talked before too)
Qai and Marcus,
You led your senior boys and girls to attain golds and made history, which is really amazing. Didn't train under y'all, but you must have done something right because 2 golds!!
It's always about familiar faces. Thank you for giving me the opportunity to row, thank you, every single one of you who made my entire iitdb journey so fruitful. Would love to see more familiar faces next season :')
Here's to our silver, and the gold next year.
The rowers might change, but the goal will never change, and the spirit will never die.
And, I'm extremely awkward with the others in team - I think it got to do with age, my mental battery runs out pretty quickly nowadays.... Apologies if I seem extremely unapproachable - I'm actually extremely nice and friendly and smiley :):):):) Sometimes all I do is smile because I don't know what to say lol
▼ April 20, 2017 | Thursday, April 20, 2017 |