A passion for the pool

WHILE most children her age were wary of getting wet or far from being exposed to the pool, five-year-old Low Jia Yee was already learning the swimming strokes and launching herself into the sport.

Having gained the skills and confidence, she threw herself into competitive swimming for seven years before switching to water polo out of her desire to explore other aquatic games.

“Since water polo is more of a team game, I gave it a try. Little did I know that I would fall in love with it. I have been playing water polo for almost a decade now,” said the 22-year-old student from Nanyang Technological University in Singapore

For many, water polo seems like a sport that requires a lot of physical strength. Low shared that it also demands a certain degree of mental resilience, which can be cultivated through training, especially when one has to deal with one’s mistakes and weaknesses.

Low shared that adopting a tough and strong mentality helped her to understand her shortcomings better and strive through the daily training.

For her, the toughest part of the training was maintaining her physical and mental fitness at all times, especially in the face of challenges. She explained that an individual who is physically fit may still have difficulty coping with the long hours of practice without a positive and strong mindset.

As a familiar face in the water sport ever since the formation of the national team in 2011, Low is not a stranger in the international field. Having taken part in water polo ever since it was introduced in Malaysia, she represented the country thrice at the SEA Games, in 2011, 2015 and 2017.

What really put her skills to the test was when she was made captain of the national polo team at the 2017 SEA Games hosted in Kuala Lumpur.

The challenge was made even greater by the fact that at the time, she was an STPM student who had to juggle between her studies, examinations and training.

Low is thankful that her friends and family were always present when she needed a warm embrace or a shoulder to lean on.

She shared that practising self-discipline and setting her priorities right also helped her cope with the demands of being a student and an athlete.

“I tried not to compromise my social life as well. That’s why having strong self-discipline helps to keep everything in balance and in focus. Sometimes it can be easy to choose quick comfort over the work at hand,” Low said.

Being able to represent the country in the sport, where her true passion lies, is the greatest honour of Low’s life thus far, she said. Low shared that she can never forget her first SEA Games in Indonesia, where she wore the Jalur Gemilang on her chest and sang Negaraku with the rest of her team.

She also looked back with fondness on the time when she played on home turf. Having the home crowd’s support really made a difference to an athlete’s morale, she said.

“Malaysia has come so far through all the ups and downs. It is a beautiful country represented by a multiracial society. We wouldn’t have been able to make it as one without all of us put together.”

Currently studying in Singapore, Low still plays water polo from time to time at the university campus, even taking part in inter-university games and playing for the Melaka team at inter-state competitions back home.

“For now, I will be focusing more on my studies and will probably be back to train for the national games thereafter,” she said.

This article was published in the Newspaper in Education (NIE) pullout by The Star Newspaper dated 4 October 2019