Dedications.

Hi everyone, I know this is so cliche and everyone is writing dedications to their teammates, but I'll do it anyway.

So, I will be long winded and write about my experience first before the dedications.
So bear with my grandmother story. (Which is very very long)

Secondary one.

To be honest, I joined canoeing because of my friends\classmates. This is because at that time, majority of the 1A girls actually joined canoeing and not wanting to be left out, I barged my way into the co-curricular activity too.

After a few months, my classmates one by one dropped out of canoeing and only Shanying, Veronica, Andra, Venice and I remained. I really don't know what fueled us to actually go for trainings at that point of time. Like Andra said, I think we were brainwashed in one way or another.

The seniors were really fierce and tolerated no nonsense from us, especially Vans. We were made to do everything and surprisingly, we didn't complain. I still don't get why, lol!

Anyway, I was privileged enough to be given a chance to take K2 with Ying Ying and participate in K2 1000m in B division. We got fourth in our event, and our B girls lost our title. It was sad really, the first time I saw Ying Ying cry so much and I felt like I was the one who pulled her down.

At the end of the year, Jerry came to replace Mr Ng. He was quiet and only smiled a little when you talked to him. He used to be nice enough to save us when we capsize while on a K1.

Then one day, WHAM. He screamed at us, and horror began.

Secondary two.

On to the following year, Jerry became more strict. And boy was he nice to introduce suicides to us. We had to listen to his daily rantings, screams, shouts and his incomprehensible English at times.

Ivan was also our coach at that time, and it was fun watching how Ivan and Jerry bicker like idiots on whose strokes were more efficient and beneficial to us.

Ivan was sick and Jerry was loud.

At that time, I was plonked into K1. And I learned how to hate K1 with my entire being. It sucks seriously, and I was constantly demoralized. Every time I capsized, one F word would pop out. I capsized on a regular basis, thus giving you a good idea how much vulgarities I scolded.

On the bright side, Vino was also in K1. Yes, our C girls' hope of a Gold medal :) We trained our butts off, and my arm got injured. It was retarded really, I had to go see a sensei and my mum lashed out on me like there was no tomorrow.

I trained on and off, and my fingers swell till they looked like pork trotters -.- Nevertheless, my team mates still tried to pull me back into loving K1. (Which I never will in my entire life) I almost lost my placing to compete in Nationals because the teachers didn't believe I could do it. But Limin sided me, and I got my opportunity back.

The best year of most of our lives. We won the C Girls' title! We thrashed the second team by 16 points :D And our batch was the batch that was the weakest (as said by the teachers) and we proved them wrong :) B Girls also snatched back their title from Njc, double happiness as you can call it.

I felt really upset as everyone was getting gold, silver or bronze, and I was one of the few who got fourth in the finals. It's not a nice feeling actually, the memories of losing actually stick with you even after the events have long past. I was really bitter and affected that year, I bawled my eyes out. Lolllll.

But this was the year everyone grew closer. There were no more segregation between us and everyone were really good friends. Sebana Cove with the team was an awesome experience :D We had fun, joy, peace and laughter plus the super nice food to eat. That's when I grew humongous :D

Secondary three.

Secondary two passed quickly, and a new year began. We were all split up into different classes with our different subject combination. I was lucky to end up in a class of which there were tons of familiar faces, and of course three other canoeists - Vino, Joanne and Divya.

It was a difficult transition between secondary two and three. The workloads increased by twice and sometimes thrice, and the expectations got even higher. On top of that, we had to attend trainings and a lot of pressure was on the secondary threes to get the B Girls' title as the number of secondary fours then were very little.

I was physically, mentally and emotionally exhausted and I really wanted to give up on canoeing. I skipped so many trainings, and made all the shit excuses.

The assignment of the boats were also in a mess, and we never got to train with our partners till like a few weeks before the competition. I paired up with Veronica for K2 500m, and Jerry was constantly snapping at us on how we couldn't move at all. We took K2 together for 7 to 10 trainings before the competition started.

I remembered we tried to remain optimistic about our plight, and it came crashing down. We got fourth in the heats, and lost to Bedok Green. We cried but nothing could be done. It was over, and there was no turning back. I'm so sorry Hazel and Joanne that because of our loss, all the burden fell to you to get a good placing in the finals.

Well, the only good point was Vino won first for her K1 event :D Everyone was really super happy and proud of her. We lost both the B and C Girls' titles, and it sucked like shit.

End of the year chalet was a blast though. It was the first time we organized such a 'huge event' and I guessed everyone enjoyed themselves. The team bonded again, that was what mattered :)

Secondary four.

For me, this is the most memorable year yet.

Workloads continued to increase, and so did the naggings and expectations. This year, it was different. Everyone were pushing themselves to train hard and long to overcome our previous year's humiliating defeat. We didn't want to experience such heart wrenching moments again.

I remembered that we had tons of remedials and tests, and Jerry kept scolding us for attending those. His face was always so black :\ We were constantly asked to forsake our studies or vice versa, and we went through a really tough time.

Then, Jeanette came. To me, she was like a breath of fresh air :D She was more empathetic and understood what we faced more than that idiot. She then took over trainings from Jerry as he had to go for job attachments, thus he abandoned us about one or two months before the competition.

Life really sucked then, where I had to force myself to go for trainings after lessons in the afternoon when I see majority of my classmates going home. But, we couldn't give up because we had to win back our titles. I was then paired with Vino and Ruo Ning for the Nationals.

It sucked really. I always had the feeling that if we didn't go fast enough, it was my fault. I dragged both of them down, and I really feel very bad about it. There was always the insecurity that I will make them lose face if we lost. I had no confidence or whatever entering the Nationals with them.

I then chanced upon Philippians 4:13 while doing devotion one day. And the verse brought me through the entire competition.

Jerry came back to watch us compete. Vino and I lost to the first Njc boat by a little, so we had to enter the semi finals. (Sorry Vino) When we got onshore, Jerry started scolding us about why we did not sprint and all, and kept saying that we could have gotten into finals right away.

We managed to get through the semi finals and moved on to the finals. We were really afraid of Maxine and Julienne, that we would not be able to beat them. I remember it ever so clearly how we got through that race. The tension was so high, and we kept screaming throughout the race. I thought we couldn't make it, but when we passed the finishing line and I saw that their boat came in after that, I really wanted to cry. We did it all right, we did it.

Our team regained back the B Girls' title, and when Jerry lifted up the trophy, all of our tears came trickling out. We managed to get back what we had lost the year before.

I'm grateful for the fact that I have managed to achieve two gold medals before I left the school, and that I broke my unlucky streak of being in fourth position for three years.

On the contrary, winning two gold medals only gave me temporary happiness. I was more overjoyed that we won our title back as a team rather than individual awards. Do you get what I mean? I treasure the friends I made and my team mates more than the medals. Friends that you make in the team, I believe, are true friends who are by your side no matter what.

I wouldn't have stayed on if it wasn't that my friends supported me, and that we wouldn't have won if we didn't carry each other through the troubles. That's why i love the B Girls and that they're so precious to me, each and everyone :)

Even though I'm not in the team any longer, I'll still remember Temasek team '08 and the B Girls, especially the secondary fours :)

Love you all truckloadssssssssssssssssssssss.