Diaries of an ice skater mom........The moment of glory to be shared

I shall start my story from the end....or almost the end. ( as a new chapter will hopefully begin soon). The recently concluded SEA Games 2017 in Kuala Lumpur was touted as the biggest and most successful that Malaysia has ever hosted. Indeed the medal tally was an impressive 145 Golds, 92 Silvers and 86 Bronzes, far exceeding the the initial prediction. I am very proud that Julian has contributed 1 Gold to this haul. A paltry number compared to the numerous books an athlete can win , but Figure skating only offered 1 Gold per gender. This gold is particularly significant because it is the very first gold for ice sports which made its debut in the SEA Games. This gold represented the trust and belief that people had in the sport and in Julian, and put to rest all the doubting Thomases.
However, I shall not write about the hard work that Team Julian put in. I shall not write about all the blood, sweat and tears involved. And I shall not talk about all the sacrifices made. That will be for another time.
Here, I will talk about all the people who believed in him, who supported him in every way and the people who never gave up on him, because this gold belongs to them..... not only to Malaysians but also to the many many other skating friends all over the world.
We never expected such a huge turnout for the competition , especially when Malaysians are not that familiar with figure skating. The crowd was simply amazing, cheering for Team Malaysia. Sports really unites.
Our family was out in full force.... and to my surprise even extended family showed up. Appears that they read about it and decided to come and support. These includes granduncles and aunts !
I am especially touched when my St Marian school mates came, cheering as if Julian was their son. The ahjumas ( K drama fans would understand this), armed with banners and flags cheered as if they were school girls again ! Quite a sight to behold, and some were even caught on TV.
One close pal brought her father along while a very dear friend got so excited that she threw her scarf on the ice after the performance. ( for the uninitiated, fans throw soft toys and flowers after a performance) And Grandma Yee threw her flag on the ice ! A suggestion for future, I do not encourage removal of any clothings to be thrown on the ice but wallets and handbags are welcomed!



Julian's friends from Primary, Secondary and University showed up as well. Each and everyone of them know ziltch about skating but they were all here for Julian. We received so many messages from abroad just before the competition, many lamenting that there is no live telecast. Thankfully some people were broadcasting live on their Face Book.

I met people for the first time who came to watch because they read about the sport. I met skaters who have since 'retired' but have come because getting the sport into the SEA Games was a dream for them. These are the skaters whom Julian looked up to as a kid and were his first role models.
All these wonderful wonderful people contributed to the fantastic atmosphere on those days and whose collective great 'roar' provided the skaters and Julian the catalyst to do their best. And those who waited hours for him after the event.... you are the best !
I cried when the results were announced.... sitting appropriately at the Kiss and Cry corner. I cried because the feeling that a whole nation and more was behind us that day was so overwhelming and emotional. I cried to know that so many people made the effort to make this special for Julian. And I cried because I know so many people cared for us and I saw many a red eye amongst my family and some of my closest friends ( Shoutout to Yvonne and Jon!) who knew what struggles we have to go through to get there.

It is true that it takes a nation ( I wish to add... and more) to raise a champion.... and my love and thanks goes out to those who were beside us all the way. This gold is for everyone !