Ex-national athletes’ fitness, competitive spirit reinvigorated through cycling

KUALA LUMPUR – If you are new to exercising, odds are you will be continuously performing the same routine as it is far easier to commit to familiar exercises than it is to undertake novel workouts, which are more challenging.

However, as time goes by, adding variety to your routine by incorporating a mix of exercises, such as cardio, strength training and cycling into your workout will strengthen its overall effectiveness.

As a former national hockey player, Khalil Lau Kok Chim can attest to this. He told The Vibes that playing hockey alone was not enough to keep him in shape since he retired from the national team.

He said the addition of cycling into his fitness regime has helped him with his knee recovery and activated previously unworked muscles in his body.

“I tore my anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) in 2000 while playing football and since then, I lost the pleasure of walking normally and I couldn’t even sit down comfortably,” he said.

Khalil, who represented Malaysia in the 1995 SEA Games in Thailand, said he subsequently gained weight after the incident because he couldn’t be as active as he was prior to the injury.

“I recall that during the fasting month, I had to sit on a chair to perform my prayers. An elderly person, who saw what I was doing, was confused because I was only 40 years old at the time.

“My doctor advised me to lose weight – I was nearly 100kg – to reduce the burden on my body. So, I (slowly) started doing my exercises again.

That was when his close friend and former teammate Lam Mun Fatt convinced him to get into cycling.

“I’m in better shape now compared to my days in the national team,” Khalil joked.

As part of Khalil’s ongoing commitment to cycling, his new fitness goal will be to take part in the world’s most prestigious amateur cycling race, L’Étape by Tour de France, on June 4 at Desaru Coast, Johor.

He will be joined by Mun Fatt and another former teammate Azlin Fairuz in the 140km mix team category.

“Mun Fatt, Azlin, and I have played at various (hockey) tournament levels before, so we know what it takes to achieve a target.

“But when it comes to a cycling tournament, we are taking on a new type of challenge so we’re all looking forward to it,” said Khalil.

‘Choose hilly, not flat terrain’

Azlin, meanwhile, applauded Khalil’s commitment to weight loss through cycling.

For cycling novices intending to burn calories, Azlin suggests opting for a hilly terrain as opposed to a flat route.

“From my experience, when I ride a 120km-flat terrain, it will me take around five to six hours to finish whereas when I opt for a 50km-hilly terrain, I will be done within two hours.

“The elevation is more intense, and I burn the same number of calories – may be more than 2,000 calories − in half the time” he explained.

Azlin, who represented Malaysia in the 1998 Commonwealth Games, retired from hockey in 2001.

Although he spends most of his days at the gym performing strength training and cardio exercises, such as running, the former athlete prefers to cycle on weekends with Khalil and Mun Fatt.

‘Listen to your body’

In all the excitement of touring different cities and states on a road bicycle, Mun Fatt cautions riders to always use a fitness tracker to monitor their heart rate to avoid overexertion.

“Going on bicycle rides can be addictive because you get to witness the beautiful scenery and enjoy the hilly terrain, but as much as we like challenging our fitness level, we need to set aside our ego and know when to take a rest.

“Our mind sometimes tells us to push forward, but our body won’t be able to take it,” he shared.

Mun Fatt’s first tournament as a senior hockey player was the 1992 SEA Games in Singapore. He also played with the national squad in the 1998 Commonwealth Games in Kuala Lumpur before retiring shortly that same year after the Bangkok Asian Games at the age of 25.

Similar to Khalil, Mun Fatt was asked to retire from sports by his doctor at the National Sports Institute due to a knee injury he sustained six years ago as a result of being overweight.

Cycling, which was his doctor’s recommended exercise, did not just help him get into shape, it strengthened his legs as well.

“Most of us hockey players experience this after having exerted our bodies to achieve peak performance.

“We only feel the pain once we reach 40 years old or so,” Mun Fatt said.

‘Representing The Vibes at L’Étape Malaysia’

The trio will be participating in L’Étape Malaysia as part of The Vibes team.

“We look forward (to the event) because this is as close as we can get to the Tour de France,” Azlin added.

Meanwhile, Mun Fatt echoed: “Although achievements vary for every sport based on physical capabilities, the one thing we all have in common as athletes is our competitive spirit − we do not simply give up.”

The L’Étape series has been organised in more than 20 countries, including Australia, Indonesia, Thailand, China, and France, with Malaysia being the latest to host the event.

L’Étape Malaysia offers a choice of two routes − 140km and 60km − and riders can participate as solo riders or as team members.

The Vibes is the official media partner for L’Etape Malaysia, and is participating in two teams sponsored by the Vinod Sekhar Foundation.

The Vibes is a PETRA News company which also publishes the Bahasa Malaysia portal Getaran. – The Vibes, May 31, 2022