It takes a village to raise a child. For many modern families, the luxury of getting an entire community of caregivers to interact with children – for them to experience life in a safe and healthy environment – is far and few.

For family man Goh Sia Hwa, 51, and his wife, Pamela Yeo, 49, the inner circle of community involving relatives and friends makes up one part of character building and development, while the other resides in quality communities they seek out for their children.

A SAFRA member since after his National Service, Sia Hwa had Pamela and his youngest son, Clement, 13, on board as SAFRA Dependent members in 2016. This was followed by his eldest son, Robin, 23 – who joined as a Principal member when Robin served in the Singapore Armed Forces in 2017 – and his second son, Dominique, 21, an SAF Navy Regular, in 2019.

For years, Sia Hwa’s family have been active participants of SAFRA activities and events that aim to create bonding memories for NSmen and their families.

What activities do you and your family enjoy most at SAFRA?

We have been visiting SAFRA for many years. From Kidz Amaze at SAFRA Jurong with Clement back when he was four, to joining the SAFRA Punggol Waterway Challenge – our most recent jaunt was in 2018 – it’s tough to pick a favourite activity. Our regular visits usually involve swimming laps at SAFRA Toa Payoh pool and indulging in the club’s many dining options available.

With the age gaps between the children and their obvious different interests, how do you manage to gather?

Despite everyone being so busy, we decided that as a family, we should actively seek to spend time together. Fortunately, SAFRA has been organising pro-family events all these years, which we are grateful for, as the entrance fees are usually inexpensive and the activities fun. You’re likely to find one family activity or solo participant event that suits what we need as a family to bond and create memorable moments.

Some notable events that we took part in as a family include the SAFRA Singapore Bay Run and Army Half Marathon, SAFRA Punggol Waterway Challenge and SAFRA Sprint Kids. The positive experience outweighs the most pertinent barriers to involvement, such as strong competition and travelling distance. We are not competitive by nature, so the key objective is to bond while attaining new skills, developing character and widening our social networks.

With your family being this active in sports, what advice would you have for parents looking to help build a healthier lifestyle for their kids?

Children learn from observing adults and following their behavioural patterns. They “do as we do” more than “do as we say”. As parents, we influence our children’s outlook in life, which includes being keen on sporting activities. Parents who regularly exercise tend to have children who exercise.

Our tips are threefold: One, set aside a time each week for family fitness. It can be a fun outdoor activity that’s not necessarily strenuous. Two, make it a point to get everyone out there for the fun exercise. No excuses for absenteeism unless there are classes to attend or an emergency crops up. And, three, sign up for a well-planned annual event like the SAFRA Singapore Bay Run and Army Half Marathon or Kids Sprint.

With fun events being the focus, families young and old should be able to work out and stay in shape together. Don’t get upset over losing – both the parent and child have to bear in mind that the objective is to bond through sporting activities.

Always remember to start small and build up your endurance. You cannot expect yourself to pick up something you have never done and go for gold at once. A family that runs together stays together.

Pamela, what was one of your most memorable SAFRA events?

There are too many to pick from, such as my first SAFRA Singapore Bay Run and Army Half Marathon back in 2013, to my partnership with Clement in the SAFRA Punggol Waterway Challenge in 2016. It was 1.7km kayaking, 2.9km cycling and 1.4km running. Clement was just nine back then, but we completed six challenges.

We learnt a lot that day. To us, winning is not everything and the SAFRA Punggol Waterway Challenge was testimony to that. As we were both not adept at kayaking and had weaker arms than the rest of the competitors, exhaustion overcame us after a while.

I knew Clement and I would not be able to win as it was our first time. However, I took this opportunity to let him know that winning is not everything.

This was, after all, a mini-triathlon, and taking on multiple sports was physically and mentally trying for him then. I had to let him know that, regardless of the outcome, as long as we have trust and love in our relationship and enjoyed the time spent together, we would have accomplished something.

Clement loved the event so much that he participated in the 2018 edition with his father. It’s a life lesson for us to impart to our kids that even if we are not able to be first, we should reward ourselves for being at the starting point. Having started is better than not starting at all.

What about you, Sia Hwa?

Mine would be the SAFRA Singapore Bay Run and Army Half Marathon. I took part in the 21km run and tell Pamela that as long as you are “mind calibrated” or mentally strong, there is no distance too far. I weighed about 100kg back then, and was simply happy with grinding out the distance with my family. My wife saw the words “Old soldiers run marathons too” on a man’s tee shirt along her route and I am proud to say that the race was for both old and young soldiers – a reminder of our NS spirit.

Clement is in the FINS Junior Water Polo programme. Pamela, how has FINS helped him achieve his sporting dreams?

[Chuckles] This might sound farfetched, but I enrolled him after reading NSMAN. At that point, I had absolutely no idea such a programme existed, and finding out about it from the magazine and doing so was one of the best decisions I have made for him.

I just wanted Clement to learn something new and did not set expectations. However, FINS surfaced a latent talent in him. All it took was a year of training with FINS and Pacer Water Polo Academy for him to be sufficiently confident of applying to be in the water polo team to his school of choice, St Andrew’s Secondary School.

The Direct School Admission trials were competitive and the experience was nerve-racking. It was really a moment of joy for all when we received the offer letter of admission.

Clement’s happy and confident despite the many hours he puts in. If your child is contented and you’re not pushing him, you know you have done right. No matter what your child’s talent may be, it’s important to ensure that he’s living his dream – not yours. As parents, we can only help to nurture his strengths. The child must take ownership or it will turn into a negative experience.

We’re excited for Clement! By the way, NSMAN will be going digital in January 2021. What do you think about that, Robin?

NSMAN going digital is timely. In the age of smartphones, readers will be drawn towards easily accessible content. I believe this convenience will help increase viewership while enhancing its positive influence. The digital edition will allow easy sharing of community news as well as significantly reduce our carbon footprint. I’m sure this shift will enable sustainability in the long run, both socially and environmentally. We look forward to reading more articles. Thanks for having us.

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What a morning of heart-pumping action at the SAFRA NERF Challenge 2019! Held in Singapore’s brand-new NERF experiential centre at Marina Square on 12 Oct, the immersive game saw the participation of many young adults.

While some prepped and strategised, others were just visibly excited about exploring the newly opened venue, the world’s first NERF Action Xperience entertainment centre spanning over 18,000sqft with multiple themed activity zones.

Following a safety briefing, the competition kicked off at 10am with the participants paired up in teams, scrambling to complete the challenge within a two-hour time frame. Utilising a wide range of blasters and darts, they fought “zombies” and navigated extreme terrain to find their way out of the battle arena in two themed war zones: Compete, an action-based activity area comprising Zombie City and Camp Dune; and Conquer, designed with extreme landscape obstacles such as Volcano, Glacier, Summit and Ice Cliff.

Ultimately, the team that came up tops was Unblockable (Daniel Ang and Gena), with apur.ini (Sim Jia Jun and Abner Seet) coming in second and y2k (Kevin See and Chng Yee Siang) third.

They won prizes valued over $2,000, including NERF Elite Titan blasters. Follow SAFRA Youth Network (www.facebook.com/SYNCsg) for other new and exciting events!

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At the inaugural Student Entrepreneurship Challenge 2019, held on 24 Aug at the newly upgraded SAFRA Mount Faber, young entrepreneurs presented their technological ideas to business leaders.

Organised by the SAFRA Entrepreneurs’ Club (SEC) – formed in 2011, now with a community of over 400 entrepreneurs, working professionals and NSFs – the business pitching challenge was held with the theme of “Smart Nation”. Participants had to single out issues that would arise as Singapore forges towards its goal of becoming a smart nation. The teams were also presented with a certification of participation from their respective mentors.

The challenge began with a five-minute presentation by each of the five shortlisted teams, followed by a question-and-answer session with the judging panel of established business leaders. The students were judged on criterion such as relevance of highlighted problems for a smart nation, creativity of solution, opportunities and growth potential, and clarity of proposal, among others.

In the end, the judges picked Study App, a pitch by the team from Outram Secondary School, known for its robust entrepreneurship curriculum. The school, which has its Applied Learning Programme to inculcate entrepreneurial values in its students, regularly organises “Meet the Entrepreneur” sharing sessions, and has school bazaars as a test-market platform.

Wong Huiyi, who supervised the winning team comprising Nathanial Tan Yong En, Goh Jun Yong, Pang Hyin Han and Sebastian Wynter, said: “When students use ‘design thinking’ to design a product, they make decisions based on what users really want, then brainstorm and develop a suitable app that caters to users’ needs.”

Mentors

• Jovan Tan, Co-Founder & CEO, REAL IMPACT (SEC Committee)
• Jay Teo, Operations Director, iChef Singapore (SEC Committee)
• Zhao Dexin, Founder, Slingprint (SEC Committee)
• James Boey, Business Development Manager, ITT Corporation (SAFRA Mount Faber Executive Committee)
• Lewis Foo, Director, CFO Agri Pte Ltd (SAFRA Mount Faber Executive Committee)

Judges

• William Sim, Managing Director, Besco Building Supplies (SEA) (SEC Advisor)
• Derek Goh, CEO, Serial System Ltd (SEC Advisor)
• Jeremiah Jonathan Mark, Financial Services Manager, Prudential Assurance Co Singapore (SAFRA Mount Faber Executive Committee Vice Chairman)

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SAFRA Tampines threw a big bash to celebrate its spanking new look after weeks of renovations to update its amenities and refresh its member experience. Over the weekend of 27-28 Apr, some 5,000 guests poured into the newly upgraded social and recreational hub for a sneak peek. The lifestyle centre is one of six such hubs islandwide, the others being SAFRA Jurong, SAFRA Mount Faber, SAFRA Punggol, SAFRA Toa Payoh and SAFRA Yishun.

A “Pump up the Jam” open house at EnergyOne kicked off the event in the morning for guests to view the newly refurbished gym. Exclusive membership promotions, including free personal training sessions, protein shake samplings and goodie bags, were extended to early birds who enrolled. To rev up the celebratory mood, an energy-packed montage of “Best 50 Pop Work-out Music” was spun by DJ Clare, one of Singapore’s leading female EDM musicians.

The mainstay that day, however, was the “Sweat it Out Challenge” – a sports contest open to individuals, pairs or groups. It drew numerous sports enthusiasts who had to complete myriad challenges at various stations at the hub, including the gym, swimming pool and even the SuperBowl. Those who completed all the stations received a stamp on the challenge passport. On getting all 13 stamps, the participants stood a chance at a lucky draw.

While sports lovers had their endorphin fixed when tackling “Sweat It Out”, young families explored parts of the enhanced lifestyle club. Sweet treats such as popcorn, candy floss and ice cream were set up along the walkways for the sweet tooth. Movie buffs gathered to watch their favourite films screened at the theatrette, while art lovers dabbled in colours and textures at the art and crafts booth. An hourly giveaway at the lobby also saw freebies being dished out, including free gaming, billiard vouchers and set meals.

The organisers also specially curated hot deals for guests, such as discounts at the various recreational amenities like 7th Heaven KTV and Café and SuperBowl. The upgrades were made with a focus on promoting a healthy lifestyle among our members. More importantly, the refurbishments also meant the upgraded hub can continue to deliver on the promise of helping NSmen build stronger bonds in their communities.

Some of the upgrades, as well as updates, at SAFRA Tampines include:

EnergyOne

The gym now has a more spacious free-weight area, additional strength training equipment and renovated changing rooms.

Badminton courts

The indoor courts have been refurbished with newer flooring and better lighting.

Barbecue Pit

New environmentally friendly electric grills have been added to the pit area.

Sports screening area

Seating capacity in this section has been expanded for SAFRA members to watch their favourite sports in comfort.

SAFRA Tampines is located at 1/A Tampines Street 92, Singapore 528882, Tel: 6785-8800.

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Hundreds of NSmen and their loved ones tackled fun games and challenges while racing through scenic Punggol Waterway Park on foot, bicycles and kayaks. On 28 Apr, participants of the second SAFRA Punggol Waterway Challenge showed their enthusiasm, fitness and ingenuity as they competed in the games. Supported by the Families for Life Council, the event saw fresh excitement as it presented a new race route around the park, following the inaugural event in 2016, and welcomed its first visually impaired participants.

Wan Wai Yee, 45, and Mohammad Ivni Bin Yaakub, 37, had competed in half-marathons, triathlons and open-sea swimming events previously. Together with their respective guides, they were among the participants who embraced the various activities of the Challenge, which consisted of a Doubles Challenge category, a Families for Life AceKids Challenge (for one parent and one child aged 7 to 10) and a Families for Life ChampKids Challenge (for one parent and one child aged 11 to 14).

Organised by SAFRA Punggol, the event saw the return of 20 pairs of participants from the 2016 edition to show their support and to compete. Among them were the defending champions of the Families for Life AceKids Challenge, Mohan S/O Krishnamoorthy and his son, Dhiren, and the runners-up to them, Woon Wee Koon and his son, Joven. Against the backdrop of nature, participants embarked on race routes of between 8km and 11.5km across the three disciplines of running, cycling and kayaking and completed up to eight challenges on their way to finishing the event.

Good teamwork was on clear display as participants took on challenges like Yoga Pose, Double Burpees, Three-legged Race, Buddy Skipping, Ring Toss and Trampoline Photo Jump. All finishers walked away with medals while the top three fastest teams of each category took home attractive cash prizes for their efforts.

The SAFRA Punggol Waterway Challenge is just one of SAFRA’s many enhanced sporting events this year, to help promote fitness and bonding among NSmen and their families. Other such events this year include SAFRA Sprint Kids Xtreme in June, the first- ver SAFRA Youth Sports Games (July), the SAFRA Singapore Bay Run & Army Half Marathon (August), SAFRA Swim for Hope (October) and SAFRA Jurong Open House – The Mini Amazing Race (December). These will be followed by the return of SAFRA AVventura in January 2019, which will see the 11th edition of the popular multi-disciplinary endurance and adventure race being staged.

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