Swimmer Marina keen to be her own woman

SINGAPORE — Nur Marina Chan Shi Min Alif Abdullah has been a busy girl.

The teenage swimmer is part of an exclusive group of national athletes — also comprising shooter Martina Lindsay Veloso and Samantha Yeo (swimming) — who will compete in a hat-trick of major Games this year, beginning with the Glasgow Commonwealth Games in July, the Youth Olympic Games (YOG) in Nanjing a month later, before wrapping up with the Asian Games starting on Friday in Incheon.

But the 16-year-old, who is the niece of Singapore’s former swim queen Patricia Chan, insists that fatigue from too much competition is not a concern. This despite starring in last August’s Asian Youth Games — where she won four silver medals — and travelling to the Myanmar SEA Games as a reserve for the women’s 4x100m freestyle relay, before heading into the three major multi-sports events this year.

A sprint specialist in freestyle and butterfly, Marina has been in fine form after clinching six gold medals — and bettering five meet records — at June’s Mizuno SEA Age Group Swimming Championships.

“I feel it is a test for me mentally and physically, and even though this is my third Games this year, I have quite high expectations of myself and expect a fair bit in terms of PBs (personal bests),” said the Anglo-Chinese Junior College student.

“The Asian Games are the toughest because I just finished two major Games, but I’m training to maintain my stamina and speed, and I’m going in well prepared.”

Pressure to deliver in the pool is also normal for the teenager, particularly as Marina hails from the Chan swimming clan, who produced 39-time SEA Games gold medallist Patricia and her father, 1964 Olympian Bernard.

But Marina — who started training seriously in the sport in Primary 6 — is keen to be her own woman.

She told TODAY: “People ask if I’m related to Patricia or Chan Ah Kow (her late grandfather). I started swimming because I look up to my dad … he used to tell me stories about his achievements and I saw how passionate he was.

“It’s a family legacy and I should be proud of it. There’s a bit of pressure, but in a good way. (But) I want to be my own swimmer.”

While Bernard is supportive of his youngest child’s dream to compete at the Olympics, the 68-year-old is well aware of the pressures that elite swimmers around the world face. “I have mixed feelings … I know the rigours of competitive swimming, and it is a lonely life, unlike sports like bowling, which is more social. I’ve never pushed my children to swim, but my approach is that if you really want it, then you’ve got to work for it.”

Coach Gary Tan also told TODAY that Marina and YOG team-mate Yeo are well on track to overtake seniors like double Asian Games gold medallist Tao Li, Amanda Lim and Quah Ting Wen.

But Marina is just focused on her Olympic goal, despite admitting she uses the example of a fellow competitor to drive her onwards. “Joseph (Schooling) is someone I look up to. Even though he is young, he is able to achieve big things. Every athlete dreams of going to the Olympics, my goal is to win a gold medal,” she said.

The Running (Wo)Man

Q: Annyeonghaseyo (hello), Marina?

Marina: I only get by with hello and thank you in Korean. But it helped break the ice with the Korean swimmers during the Asian Youth Games!

Q: Which K-pop band do you know?

Marina: Shinee! My friends are big fans, and they talk about them in school. I try to follow, but it’s confusing with so many bands.

Q: You get to be a K-star for a day, what will you do?

Marina: I’m interested in their reality/variety TV shows, so I’d like to be in Running Man