The Voice 37

Achievements Unlocked

Hidden Dragon’ is a Chinese idiom that’s often used to describe people with special hidden talents and that couldn’t be truer at Tanglin! Here are four individuals who are not only amazing teachers but are also talented people who have other incredible talents you might not be aware of.

TEAM SINGAPORE

Did you know that Natalie Ho, one of our PE STLAs (Senior Teaching and Learning Assistant), recently proudly represented Singapore as part of the National Women’s Hockey Team in the Women’s Asia Cup 2022? She was also selected to be the team leader, so you can say that Natalie has unlocked a worthy achievement!

As a PE STLA, Natalie has always been an active and sporty person. She said, “I love being outdoors, running around, and chasing after my friends and family members. All kinds of sports interest me, especially ball games. I started playing hockey at the age of 13 as part of my school CCA in secondary school. We won a few championships together and it was an amazing experience. While studying, I was chosen to be part of the Singapore U21s and U18s squad, and eventually made my debut in the Senior team upon graduating at 17. It has been an exciting adventure thus far!”

So how did Natalie manage to clinch the team leader position for the national team? She explained, “This tournament was important as it was a qualifier for the 2022 Asian Games. We faced a few Big Asian teams that have played in the recent Tokyo Olympics. It was during SEA Games 2017 in Kuala Lumpur where I took over the role as Team Captain. Having captained the U21s and U18s previously in the junior team, it gave me the opportunity to lead again in the women’s senior team. I was a little reluctant at first as I didn’t know if I could do well. However, there were a few senior players in the team who encouraged me and trusted that I could lead them as well as the younger players in the team. It has been four years now and I enjoy this role because it gives me a huge sense of responsibility. I step in and boost the team’s morale when it is low and lead by example on the playing field.”

Well said, Natalie! We can’t wait to see you lead the Singapore team to more sporting successes in future.

YOUNGEST FEMALE TRIO

Over at the Senior School, we have Geography specialist Hannah Walton who was part of the youngest female trio to row across any ocean (with an average age of 26) in 2020.

Like Tanglin alumna Charlotte Harris (The Voice, issue 36), Hannah participated in the Talisker Whisky Atlantic Challenge (TWAC) with her friends because they thought that it was the perfect way to support their preferred charities, Women in Sport and Rowing Together for Healthy Minds. She explained, “Sport, especially rowing, has always been a way for us to look after our own mental health, so rowing for charities that encourage participation in sport and amplify conversations about mental health within it, felt fitting. We managed to raise just over £16,000, something we’re really proud of.”

Now that she has accomplished such an impressive milestone, what are Hannah’s future plans? “I would absolutely love to do another row in the future, or a long trek like the Pacific Coast Trail, but that’s probably a long way off for now! The time and money required is a huge investment and at the moment, I’m focused on my new adventure of having moved to Singapore.”

And her advice for anyone who wants to take on TWAC with their friends? “I would say go for it – it takes a lot of preparation and organisation, but I think we learned that even the biggest tasks can be split up into lots of little ones on a very long to-do list! That’s how we took on the row itself – we focused on one shift at a time, until eventually we’d rowed 3000 miles....and those 3000 miles are definitely worth it!”