Trust the Process, Trust in Yourself

“Trust the process and you’ll eventually reach your goals.” This is what national swimmer and student, Ethan Yuen lives by. The 19-year-old, who studies Sport and Wellness Management at Nanyang Polytechnic, has over a decade of swimming experience. Joining the National Pipeline Swimming Team at 15, Ethan has been representing Singapore ever since.

Juggling the responsibilities of being a student and an athlete, his journey to where he is now has been far from smooth sailing. Overcoming each obstacle with stride and perseverance, Ethan details his ongoing journey to success.

Initially, Ethan’s parents signed him up for swimming simply as a means to expel his energy. However, what started out as a casual activity turned into a passion driven, competitive sport for the lively teen.

His competitive swimming journey began at the age of 11 when he represented his school to participate in Singapore’s regional swimming competitions. This was when he first started discovering his skill and drive for swimming. However, just as his competitive journey was starting to pick up, he came across his first hurdle.

Ethan’s parents, although supportive, carried their worries and doubts about him falling behind in his education. As the difficulty level increased, so did his training hours. Ethan understood his parents’ worries which made him feel further conflicted on how he should navigate his studies and swimming journey.

“I had a talk with my coach, and he told me that swimming and studies are two different things, there's no need to think either one is going to drop when I focus on the other,” Ethan shared his coach’s advice to him.

Coach Nat had been with Ethan from when he first started swimming till the time he joined the national team. Ethan describes him as his “knight in shining armour” that has served as a strong pillar of support throughout challenging times.

To juggle both responsibilities, Ethan planned out daily schedules he strictly stuck to that gave him ample time to work and rest. With Coach Nat’s confidence in him paired with his own self-reflection and discipline, Ethan plucked up the courage to make a commitment to both his studies and swimming.

Fuelled by passion, Ethan’s swimming flourished, and he developed a new goal - to join Singapore's national swimming team. However, competition was stiff with limited slots available. With the pressure building up, his confidence dwindled which negatively affected his swimming performance.

Ethan recounted his difficulties at age 14, “My times were stagnating. Give or take, I was last in almost every training session in secondary one and two. I also have a small stature, so sometimes, it felt as if my competitors and teammates were literally standing over me. This really pulled me down because I didn't feel like I could achieve greater or better things compared to them.”

As the struggles piled up, his chances of getting into the national team were looking slim. This was a dark period for Ethan where he struggled with his mental health. Despite it all, he continued to press on in his training.

When the results for the national team came out, Ethan was disheartened to find out he was not selected. However, Coach Nat had unwavering faith in him and pushed for Ethan to be a part of the team. Upon further discussion, the national team coach, Coach Gary, decided to give Ethan a chance.

This push reignited Ethan’s passion for swimming and helped him to find himself again. With a newfound sense of confidence, Ethan quickly began climbing the ranks.

“My improvement was quite drastic,” Ethan recounted with a smile. There was only going up from there. Between the years of 2020 to 2022, he participated in multiple competitions such as the Singapore Olympic Qualifiers, 51stSingapore National Age Groups and the 44th South-East Asian Age Group Championships.

Things were relatively smooth sailing up until he approached his second year in Nanyang Polytechnic. After being in such a competitive environment for three years, Ethan faced yet another challenge – he felt his passion for swimming dwindling.

“I felt like quitting because I had reached a plateau and didn't see a way up,” Ethan explained. His times were stagnating and with such a busy training schedule, he lacked the time for schoolwork and socialising. Swimming started to feel more like a chore than something he was passionate about. Carrying these heavy emotions, he decided to seek advice.

“My senior told me that you don't swim just to achieve good timing, you swim for the memories and that’s when I kind of had an epiphany,” Ethan shared. His seniors’ advice made him reflect on the past decade of his swimming journey and that’s when he realised how much joy he derived from not just the sport but the experiences and people around him.

And for this, he is thankful for the people he’s surrounded by, who have offered support in one way or another.

His advice to aspiring student athletes? “Learn to trust the people around you, they are really there to help you. Don't think that a minor setback will make them lose faith in you.”

“Trust the process, trust in yourself.”

Pictures are sourced from Ethan Yuen