Following Senior Minister (Security Cluster) Datuk Seri Ismail Sabri Yaakob’s announcement regarding the extension of operating hours for sports-related premises, many members of the public, including athletes, are thrilled to continue utilising these facilities and break a sweat. Chew Sze Chyi, Malaysia’s women’s singles figure skater, is no exception.
Chew Sze Chyi is currently pursuing her Bachelors in Psychology under the Southern New Hampshire University (SNHU) programme.
Sze Chyi, who started figure skating when she was seven, has been in the national figure skating team since she was 17. She explained that it was her sister who influenced her decision to go into figure skating, after witnessing her on the ice for the first time when she was about four years old.
“I remember thinking how classy, beautiful and elegant she looked and after watching her grace through the ice, I thought of trying the sport out myself,” said Sze Chyi.
When asked what she loves about the sport, the 21-year-old shared that she appreciates the challenge the sport brings.
“I thrive on challenges and I love that figure skating requires me to constantly improve myself through perfecting routines, jumps or turns,” said Sze Chyi.
She added, “I realised it has also helped me build up my confidence since I am naturally very shy. As an athlete I am required to perform on my own on the rink at competitions. This has definitely helped me break out of my introverted shell.”
Since the first announcement of sports facilities resuming operations in June, Sze Chyi was thrilled to get back on the ice again but realised that it took her some time to regain her momentum.
“Prior to the lockdown, I only trained on the ice rink without the use of other facilities. When the lockdown happened, I had no other choice but to train at home. I found it difficult to train at home because I could not go to the rink or train with my ice skates for months, so it took me a few weeks to familiarise myself again with the ice rink and practise my techniques,” explained Sze Chyi.
When asked how the pandemic has impacted figure skating athletes, Sze Chyi said her training hours had significantly reduced since she could not meet her coach or access the ice rink during the lockdown.
“Before the pandemic hit, I was training five times a week on the ice rink for over two hours. When we went through the lockdown, I had to resort to exercising at home without being able to perform tricks or turns. I also had to resort to using sports shoes because I could not use my ice skates. Due to this, I trained lesser hours during the MCO,” she said.
Now that she is able to train on the ice again, Sze Chyi shares that her life has resumed back to ‘normal’, where she has to stick to a strict routine of managing between her studies, training and coaching.
Sze Chyi is part of the national women’s singles figure skating team.
The Bachelors in Psychology, Southern New Hampshire University (SNHU) student who is pursuing her degree at INTI International College Subang (INTI), credited INTI’s online learning for helping her manage her schedule during this pandemic.
“Apart from its accessibility, I personally love INTI’s online learning because I was able to study at my own pace and replay the recorded lectures in case I was unclear about something. It was also helpful to have these recorded lectures during my assignments, because I could use them as references,” said the resourceful lass.
She shared that she is also grateful that the SNHU programme allows her to customise her own classes for the semester based on her training schedules.
With managing between her student, national athlete and coaching hats, there is no stopping Sze Chyi from dreaming big despite the pandemic. She shares that she may pursue her Masters in Child and Adolescence Development abroad once the pandemic blows over, but that remains to be seen.
“I got into Psychology to better understand and observe my trainees I currently coach. Pursuing a Masters in this field would allow me to provide a more holistic support if I do decide to take on coaching full time. There will come a time when I do have to retire as an athlete, so this is one way I can continue my figure skating dream,” said Sze Chyi.