Show Notes
To be an Olympian is never an easy feat. Aisyah Rafa'ee (or fondly known as Aisyah Rower) has not just able to be in the top game and then retire and venture into helping people with their athletic career as a mental skills coach for athletes. Asking an athlete to retire at the top of her game is never easy for it is like dropping one's identity which comes later with existential dread and Aisyah explains how she dealt with everything that comes in her way when she announced her decision. To be a mental wellness coach seems like an easy coach for her as she reveals how she has learnt from her own life and the mental capabilities that she got to be on top of her game and then retire from it while she being on the top. All the challenges that faced both to Singapore athletics and athletics out of Singapore that make us look so similar. After moving out of Singapore, challenges bound to happen. Emotional lessons that she has learnt when moving out of her home and being the representation of her people where she is from. Representation was never easy; especially if it is under a spotlight like major international games such as Olympics. She reveals the pressure that one athlete has wearing the country flag on their shoulder on top of performing well in their sports when I brought up Joseph Schooling's situation. She reveals who she has looked up to in during her qualifiers and her prep into getting the representation. We never knew what happens in one's life. We were to tell what we want to be when we are 7 and we never have thought her ambition may be. She has reached her ambition and Aisyah reveals her peeves while questions the reasoning behind the whole education system when it comes to physical education in Singapore. Man getting into Olympics is not easy feat as one may think.
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Terry Johnson or more commonly known as The Real TJ has a fascinating life. Born in Dayton, Ohio, the Real TJ shares about him growing up in a family that is addicted to drugs. The realisation of needing to get sober and being a drug dealer when he was younger. He told a story of how he and his room mate who he perceived as racist. While I tried to cautiously ventured to his regrets, he shares his time with being In The Living Colour and the time he was in Oprah Winfrey Show. We talked about presenting our jokes and how he perceived me as a comedian.
Welcome To The Machine is a Pink Floyd tribute band from Singapore. With its members include: Lim Kiang as Bass, Noel Ong as Guitarist, Arinda as the front man, Laurence as the drummer, David as the Guitarist and Yuk Wong (not in around) as the keyboardist. So I has asked the million dollar question: Why Pink Floyd? It spiraled into a rabbit hole of favourite Pink Floyd songs and the theater aspect of Pink Floyd. Stories shared on how Welcome To The Machine got started. How the reception of Pink Floyd music in Singapore as compare to other countries such as Vietnam and India. Questions such as what they look out for during auditions and how the band stay together for close to a decade. The sacrifice and discipline that gels the band together. Kiang is an old veteran when it comes to the local music scene, the song that pushed Beatles off the charts and the story that make his previous band the straydogs as the rebel band in the 1960s. Oh yeah We do think there are dated songs from Pink Floyd and Laurence loves Tool as well. Details of Welcome To The Machine concert: https://www.catch.sg/Event/Experience-The-Wall-from-the-inside-Welcome-To-The-Machine-brings-Pi-20250731131848
Having an album titled "Not all who wander are lost" seems to be an ironic title for the band Paint The Sky Red. Paint The Sky Red made up by four Malay guys Azman, Hakim, Yasser and Fahmi, talked a lot of revisiting their roots in their music and having their families with the journey with them. Recounting the genesis of the band, Paint the Sky Red tells the story of why the lack of a lead vocalist and how a band in Malaysia and one from Indonesia have helped them along the way. Selflessness seems to be the one thing that bind all of them together as everyone seems to be really excited with everyone's progress in the band, telling the story how they innovate with one another. The call for the tour is unexpected. The culture is different, there is no marketing done. Paint the Sky Red shares their adventure and misadventure in their China tour. From feeling like a rock star to comically scolding the idea of hard case their guitar and going to a football match in China. They made an impossible decision with their music career. Giggling like a bunch of primary school kids. The band shares the joys of having their partners with them. How they have supported them throughout the journey, from having an obsession to be better and even them involved. Time being spent with their family as priority and how the band has evolved in making the career decision in their life.
It takes someone special to be in the cage and start fighting. "Kobra" Kai Xiong will be one such guy. Started at a young age, he talks about the life of MMA Fighter and why he had made that decision so early in his life. We nerd out on the evolution of old school MMA vs new age MMA. Kai Xiong shared the secrets of being a good MMA fighter and getting a good coach. He shares the university major to improve your Ju Jitsu game. We guys have the romantic dream about chasing one dream as a MMA fighter. He shares the horror stories in chasing a dream of being a pro-MMA Fighter Quote: A good coach is just somebody who cares for you. Because if they care for you on a personal level with respect, like personal in the sense, like your individual progression rather than like the gym as a whole, then they will be able to, uh, see the things that you need specifically. Not just like a cookie cutter process to let everybody go through Because if somebody cares for you individually and they're able to identify your mistakes, your strengths, your weak points, right, then they can cater the way they coach or their instructions and whatever they want to teach or show you specifically to what will make you the best version of you.
Being dubbed as a Singapore's best boxer, Velvan Tan has sure been through some of the greatest challenge and forged his own path. Now reside as the head coach of Spartans Boxing Club, he reviews about the time when he first got started. The first time he talks about his dreams, the first interviews and now his first podcast. From being the head coach, he talks about his pet peeves as a gym coach and convincing people his capabilities as a coach while being in the youngest in the room. Martial artist and people who practiced combat sports always talk about the lessons learnt, the rise and the falls. When we talked about disappointments, I think Velvan is a good person to talk to about have his dream crushed and coming back. Having his expectations not going the way he intended and yet coming out and being the best at his craft and later his life. Velvan ended being very candid about his personal life. How he got to where he is today? The important lessons that he has learnt from his father and working to deal with the death of his mother. The important lesson here is Family.