By Jamillatus Saadiah Zakariah
18th March 2020 marks the start of the Movement Control Order as a preventive measure in response to the COVID19 pandemic in Malaysia.
A lot of activities and events were cancelled. These include sports activities and training.
For a University of Malaya hockey athlete, Sarah Binti Jiji, 20, the thrill of training in a field is a luxury that she could not enjoy for a while.
“I love training on a sunny day as it improves my endurance, and I feel like I perform better during the day,” she said.
Now that she could no longer practice her normal drill in the field, she is forced to adapt to the new norm and create her custom training at home to stay fit.
“As an athlete, I couldn’t possibly become lazy during the MCO. Even during season breaks, I still engage myself in exercises. Fitness and endurance are important to be a great athlete,” Sarah stressed.
This hockey goalkeeper said that she completes her drills with videos from YouTube as guidance. Sometimes, she would create a video call session with her teammates to practice together in her backyard.
Being a student and not a full-fledged professional athlete, she does not have access to a home gym with expensive equipment.
“I only utilise 3 workout equipment I own at home; a yoga mat, a treadmill, and a pair of 10kg dumbbells”.
“I do a lot of cardio workouts such as running, push-ups, and jumping rope at home. These workouts help maintain and improve my stamina and strength,” she shared.
On the other hand, Sarah also polishes her mental activity by creating a new game for her team to play together. She would then propose her strategy by leading her team. All of these were inspired by watching various tournaments online.
“I usually watch old World Cup and Olympic hockey tournaments at night since I now have a lot of free time.”
Other than physical fitness, diet is also a very important aspect of being an athlete. Sarah said that she didn’t follow a very strict diet, but she makes sure that she keeps hydrated every day.
“I only control my daily carbs and sugar intake, whereby I only eat rice during lunch, and I make sure to drink around 3 litres of plain water every day,” she said.
As a full-time student, Sarah must balance her workout routine and attending classes in her daily schedule.
She shared her experience in joining online classes for the past few weeks and the struggles she faced.
“Despite treating my education as a priority, I do find it exhausting to sit in front of the laptop for half a day during online lectures, as well as completing the assignments that came hand in hand. Therefore, working out is my way of coping with stress and boredom.”
When asked about how she keeps herself motivated at home, she stated that she tries takes things slowly and often gives herself some space whenever needed.
“I often take small steps before taking bigger steps in achieving my goal, so I wouldn’t be shocked if I face difficulties that would eventually snatch my interest away until I just decide to give up,” said Sarah.
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