The Straits Times (23 August 2018) - Call it an occupational benefit, but the staff of Tan Tock Seng Hospital (TTSH) understand the benefits of a healthy lifestyle better than most.
TTSH staff who will be taking part in The Straits Times Run on Sept 23. Among them are Mr Dominic Tung (far left), Mr Tumadi Kasmany (second from left), Mr Kelvin Teo (back row left) and Ms Lim Yen Ling (centre, in green).
ST PHOTO: KHALID BABA
The hospital has a department that looks after staff wellness, and when sign-ups were sought for this year’s The Straits Times Run, about 130 people responded.
This is the first time that TTSH has arranged for its staff to take part in the ST Run, which will be held on Sept 23.
Leading the way is TTSH’s deputy human resources director Lim Yen Ling, an avid runner who in 10 years has gone from hating running to clocking around 42km a week.
“I was having a bit of high cholesterol so I started with 1.8km a week – from my house to the market. My destination is still the market these days but the routes have been getting longer and longer and I am taking bigger and bigger detours,” said Ms Lim, who now runs up to 15km at a time.
“The thing I like about running is that it’s hassle-free. You don’t have to wait for friends to play with or invest in any equipment other than a pair of shoes.”
The 58-year-old is running in the 18.45km category and has set herself a goal of bettering her personal best of 1hr 45min.
“This will be my third ST Run and I would probably have signed up on my own anyway. I would actually like to do 1.30 but I think that will be difficult, so anything between (1.30 and 1.45) would be good enough.” Joining Ms Lim in running 18.45km are running buddies Tumadi Kasmany and Kelvin Teo, 38, an engineer.Mr Tumadi, 49, a technical officer, rattled off a list of age-related health conditions such as high blood pressure, when asked about why he runs regularly.
“My body is like a motor, and any day I run is a good day for me. Nowadays I’m a bit slower and I do more walking with my wife, but I think I can still complete the 18.45km strongly,” he said.
The ST Run, into its sixth edition, was a natural choice for TTSH’s staff wellness department too. “We have seen strong interest from our staff for runs and marathons,” said Mr Dominic Tung, TTSH’s assistant director of HR wellness.
“We do a few runs every year but we prefer those like the ST Run which have a 5km category because more people are willing to sign up.”
This year’s ST Run is presented by Panasonic and comprises three categories – 5km, 10km and 18.45km (The Straits Times was launched in 1845). Registration fees are $50, $60 and $70 respectively.
Past participants enjoy a loyal runner rate and pay just $38, $48 and $58 for these categories. The run ends at the Singapore Sports Hub for all categories.
To register and for more details, go to www.straitstimesrun.com