Standing for a Cause
Mediacorp
10th Subaru Impreza WRX Challenge 2011
(The Asian Face-Off)
Official Website: http://xinmsn.com/CarChallenge2011/
Location: Ngee Ann City Civic Plaza, Orchard Road, Singapore (See Map)Date: Saturday, October 29 2011
Time: 1pm
Organised by: Mediacorp Pte Ltd
Main Sponsor: Motor Image Enterprises
This year, Mediacorp Subaru Impreza WRX Challenge will be celebrating its 10th year since it began back in 2002. This challenge is a joint initiative by Motor Image Enterprises and MediaCorp Pte Ltd. This event is the region's most anticipated endurance challenge where it test the contestants mind and body to the limit and beyond.
Participants will pit their ultimate endurance skills to outlast each other. They will have to battle against harsh weather conditions, sleep deprivation, hunger and thirst and keep their right palms firmly on the Subaru Impreza cars. They will be given a five minute break once every six hours – at 1pm, 7pm, 1am and 7am. The last individual left standing with his or her palm still on the car will walk away with a grand prize of a Subaru Impreza WRX 2.5 MT Hatchback worth S$92,800 (without Certificate Of Eentitlement), additional titles and cash prizes.
Now in its 10th year, the event will bring together a total of 10 countries to the competition, making it the largest regional challenge in its history. This year, two new countries, Cambodia and Macau will participate in the challenge. They will compete with contenders from China, Indonesia, Malaysia, Philippines, Taiwan, Thailand, Vietnam and Singapore.
Besides vying for the grand prize, regional contestants will also compete for three additional titles and cash prizes. The title of Country Winner will go to the last standing representative of each participating regional country, with a cash prize of S$1,000. The last regional contestant standing will win the Asian Winner title and walk away with S$5,000 in cash. The Country Team Winner title with a cash prize of S$10,000 will be awarded to the country that holds the longest standing time (combined from all 10 representatives of the same country).
To mark the Challenge'’s 10th anniversary and Radio's 75th anniversary, there will be a special "Unfinished Business" category. For the very first time, 10 ex-contestants from Singapore who have clocked 75 hours and above in a previous challenge will be given direct entry to compete with the best from the region.
To make it the event even more special, I'll be taking part in the challenge and I'll be the first physically-challenged contestant. My aim of participaiting in such a gruelling contest is not merely to challenge my own ability and limit, but to prove to everyone that 'Disabled does not mean Unabled' and at the same time, to raise public-awareness about disability sports and also, to raise funds for Mr. Md. Noor Azri and his family through pledges.
(A brief story about Mr. Md. Noor Azri. In 2007, Mr. Md. Noor Azri met with an unfortunate tragic accident during his school extra-curricular activity that left him with half-a-skull, half-paralysed body and partial blindness. He was just 16 years old then. Right now, his family is appealing for help to raise money to help with the medical expenses and they are also, hoping to raise enough money to send Mr. Md. Noor Azri to Germany to seek further medical treatment in the hope that he will be able to regain some independency. You can find out more through their website, http://victorianazri.blogspot.com/)
The road to qualifying and be eligible for this exciting event has not been easy for me as at first, the organiser put a stop to my application as they deemed it was not feasible for me to partcipate due to my disability and also because of that, they deemed the event too strenuous and unsafe for my well-being and health.
I was devastated and disappointed as I always believe that we should not be disqualify because of our disability, and thus, I shared my thoughts and feelings by uploading it through my status on facebook. And to my surprise, I had a lot of positive support from family members, friends and even strangers. A few of them even wrote-in to Mediacorp and Motor Images to request that I be allowed to participate based on my accomplishments in the running and swimming scenes, and also based on my fortitude and determination.
After receiving such rousing support from many people, Mediacorp responded and Mr. Steven Choo, Assistant Vice-President (English Programming), MediaCorp and Chairperson for the event, and his colleague, Ms. Sandra, arranged to meet me personally to know more about me.
It was a brief meeting but after knowing more about me, Mr. Steven, decided to allow me to participate in the event and even asked me whether I need any special assistance during the event but I decline as I want to compete in the challenge fair-and-square with other contestants without having the privilege of special treatment. The only exception is that I'm allowed to place my half-opened left palm on the car instead of having a flat, opened right palm.
Though I know winning the event is not going to be easy as last year's winner, Mr. Aloysius Lim did a standing time of 75 hours and 17 minutes and the current record, which was set in 2008 by another Singaporean, Mr. George Lee, at a standing time of 81 hours and 32 minutes, I'm truly excited and looking forward to the day of the event and I have to thank the support of my family members, friends, strangers, Mediacorp, Mr. Steven and Ms. Sandra for making it happen. Thank you so much once again.
See all of you at Ngee Ann City Civic Plaza from Saturday, October 29 2011, at 1pm onwards. I look forward to your presence, support and cheer, and I hope to be there at least till Monday.
One last thing, please donate generously to Mr. Md. Noor Azri and his family to help them with the medical expenses. No amount is too small. Your contribution will go a long way.
For donation via bank funds transfer -
Md. Noor Azri B. Abd. Rahman
POSB Savings a/c no : 209-44396-1
POSB Savings a/c no : 209-44396-1
For donation via paypal -
Article from The Straits Times
October 30 2010
I still watch Motor GP and F1. Totally love speed.
Disabled athlete made a comeback after losing arm in motorbike crash.
By Kevin Lim
THE accident was seven years ago but former marine engineer Adam still can’t get it out of his head, still can’t work out just how he lost his right arm. Mr Adam, can reel off the sequence of events with ease. He was riding his 200cc Phantom motorcycle at no more than 90kmh near the Yishun exit on the Seletar Expressway (SLE).
He was heading to work in Tuas, where he maintained ship engines, and was way ahead of his 5.30am start time. Just after 4am, he was startled by what he thought was “a black dog” dashing out from the forested areas flanking the SLE and across his lane. He instinctively swerved to avoid the dog but lost control of his bike, slammed into the metal railing on the road shoulder and was thrown off his motorcycle.
“When I came crashing down on the railing, my arm got stuck at the right shoulder point... and (it) just snapped off at the shoulder joint,” recalled Mr Adam, a former SAF Guards officer. He stayed conscious after rolling about 30m to 50m but struggled for almost an hour before one of the very few passing cars stopped to call an ambulance. “Because of the adrenalin rush, I didn’t know my arm was already snapped off and amputated on the spot,” he said. As he lay in his own blood and watched his detached arm dangling on the railing, he resolved to stay awake. “I kept telling myself if I were to sleep, I might end up sleeping forever. I needed to stay alive and tell my mum what happened,” he said.
Doctors at Singapore General Hospital (SGH) re-joined the arm later that day but the reattachment was short-lived. The injury was just too severe and complications like infection and bleeding arose. “Despite all our efforts, his condition became critical and the arm was finally removed to save his life,” said Dr Tan Soo Heong, a visiting senior consultant at SGH’s department of hand surgery. Not only was his right arm gone, but also his left arm was so badly damaged that it was paralysed. All this from Mr Adam’s first and only motorcycle accident. “It dawned on me that things can’t be normal,” he said to himself in the hospital. It wasn’t just the dreadful physical injuries that he had to deal with. There was also a sense of “Why me?”“I rode safely and yet still met with an accident,” he said.
The polytechnic graduate with a diploma in marine engineering found himself withdrawing from others for a year after the crash, then battling feelings of envy. “You see your friends getting a good career, a good life. Being a human being, you still want relationships, but...being in this state, not having a stable income, how can you go on dates and (all) that?” Despite her anaemic condition, Adam’s mother Aminah Jumaat has been taking care of him full-time for the past seven years. “It has totally changed my life as I have to stop working and cut off my social life almost completely so that I can care for him 24/7,” said the former production operator.
“As a mother, I have to be and stay strong so I can provide him with the best support and care possible.” Sdam’s brother Anuar, the sole breadwinner. He is an auxiliary police officer with Sats. Their younger brother, Kamsani, is training to be a flight attendant. For them, Mr Adam snapped out of it. “Life has to move on, I just have to try to be as normal as possible. That’s when I started contacting my friends,” he said.
There was a turn for the better a year ago with a ground-breaking contralateral operation that involved implanting the existing good nerves in his right stump into his left arm. He is believed to be the only person in the world who has undergone such an extensive procedure. This has enabled movement, however minimal, in Mr Adam’s left arm. It enables him to earn some cash – a chopstick in mouth and a mouse underfoot – editing reports for marine engineering firm Man Diesel and doing freelance Web and graphic design at home.
He also picks up orders for T-shirt printing to help supplement the family income and meet medical bills.
But sport has been his main route back to a meaningful life. He was a keen athlete at school and resumed running in July 2008 to strengthen his legs and improve his stamina for operations. Four months later, he became the first person with his kind of disability to complete the Vertical Marathon, finishing 76th out of 297 men. Last year he came in 17th in his category.
“I’m hoping to run up the Empire State Building or Taipei 101,” he said. “People say try to dream big but I’m realistic. The world record is six minutes and unless I have arms to pull myself, I can’t reach that time.” He also competed at the Arafura Games in Darwin, Australia, last year at the invitation of the Singapore Disability
Sports Council (SDSC), winning the gold in the 1,500m and the silver in the 800m. And at the Danish Open Athletics Championships this year, Mr Adam won the bronze in the 100m and the silver in the 200m sprints. At the Delhi Commonwealth Games, he came in sixth in the para men’s 100m with a time of 13.17 seconds.
Mr Adam also runs marathons under the moniker “1ArmRunner” as a way to raise awareness of disability sport. His next medical challenge comes in the next few months when doctors undertake an 18-hour surgical procedure to construct a bicep for Mr Adam’s left arm. It involves taking some of his thigh muscle so that could mean Mr Adam will be unable to perform at his peak when he returns to running. With dreams of 2012 Paralympics in sight, that creates a dilemma but he knows his priorities and knows he needs to take some pressure off his mum. “We’re hoping to get back the basic needs of feeding myself and holding my ez-link card and tap,” said Mr Adam, who has plans for life after the operation.
I still watch Motor GP and F1. Totally love speed.
Disabled athlete made a comeback after losing arm in motorbike crash.
By Kevin Lim
THE accident was seven years ago but former marine engineer Adam still can’t get it out of his head, still can’t work out just how he lost his right arm. Mr Adam, can reel off the sequence of events with ease. He was riding his 200cc Phantom motorcycle at no more than 90kmh near the Yishun exit on the Seletar Expressway (SLE).He was heading to work in Tuas, where he maintained ship engines, and was way ahead of his 5.30am start time. Just after 4am, he was startled by what he thought was “a black dog” dashing out from the forested areas flanking the SLE and across his lane. He instinctively swerved to avoid the dog but lost control of his bike, slammed into the metal railing on the road shoulder and was thrown off his motorcycle.
“When I came crashing down on the railing, my arm got stuck at the right shoulder point... and (it) just snapped off at the shoulder joint,” recalled Mr Adam, a former SAF Guards officer. He stayed conscious after rolling about 30m to 50m but struggled for almost an hour before one of the very few passing cars stopped to call an ambulance. “Because of the adrenalin rush, I didn’t know my arm was already snapped off and amputated on the spot,” he said. As he lay in his own blood and watched his detached arm dangling on the railing, he resolved to stay awake. “I kept telling myself if I were to sleep, I might end up sleeping forever. I needed to stay alive and tell my mum what happened,” he said.
Doctors at Singapore General Hospital (SGH) re-joined the arm later that day but the reattachment was short-lived. The injury was just too severe and complications like infection and bleeding arose. “Despite all our efforts, his condition became critical and the arm was finally removed to save his life,” said Dr Tan Soo Heong, a visiting senior consultant at SGH’s department of hand surgery. Not only was his right arm gone, but also his left arm was so badly damaged that it was paralysed. All this from Mr Adam’s first and only motorcycle accident. “It dawned on me that things can’t be normal,” he said to himself in the hospital. It wasn’t just the dreadful physical injuries that he had to deal with. There was also a sense of “Why me?”“I rode safely and yet still met with an accident,” he said.
The polytechnic graduate with a diploma in marine engineering found himself withdrawing from others for a year after the crash, then battling feelings of envy. “You see your friends getting a good career, a good life. Being a human being, you still want relationships, but...being in this state, not having a stable income, how can you go on dates and (all) that?” Despite her anaemic condition, Adam’s mother Aminah Jumaat has been taking care of him full-time for the past seven years. “It has totally changed my life as I have to stop working and cut off my social life almost completely so that I can care for him 24/7,” said the former production operator.
“As a mother, I have to be and stay strong so I can provide him with the best support and care possible.” Sdam’s brother Anuar, the sole breadwinner. He is an auxiliary police officer with Sats. Their younger brother, Kamsani, is training to be a flight attendant. For them, Mr Adam snapped out of it. “Life has to move on, I just have to try to be as normal as possible. That’s when I started contacting my friends,” he said.
There was a turn for the better a year ago with a ground-breaking contralateral operation that involved implanting the existing good nerves in his right stump into his left arm. He is believed to be the only person in the world who has undergone such an extensive procedure. This has enabled movement, however minimal, in Mr Adam’s left arm. It enables him to earn some cash – a chopstick in mouth and a mouse underfoot – editing reports for marine engineering firm Man Diesel and doing freelance Web and graphic design at home.He also picks up orders for T-shirt printing to help supplement the family income and meet medical bills.
But sport has been his main route back to a meaningful life. He was a keen athlete at school and resumed running in July 2008 to strengthen his legs and improve his stamina for operations. Four months later, he became the first person with his kind of disability to complete the Vertical Marathon, finishing 76th out of 297 men. Last year he came in 17th in his category.
“I’m hoping to run up the Empire State Building or Taipei 101,” he said. “People say try to dream big but I’m realistic. The world record is six minutes and unless I have arms to pull myself, I can’t reach that time.” He also competed at the Arafura Games in Darwin, Australia, last year at the invitation of the Singapore Disability
Sports Council (SDSC), winning the gold in the 1,500m and the silver in the 800m. And at the Danish Open Athletics Championships this year, Mr Adam won the bronze in the 100m and the silver in the 200m sprints. At the Delhi Commonwealth Games, he came in sixth in the para men’s 100m with a time of 13.17 seconds.
Mr Adam also runs marathons under the moniker “1ArmRunner” as a way to raise awareness of disability sport. His next medical challenge comes in the next few months when doctors undertake an 18-hour surgical procedure to construct a bicep for Mr Adam’s left arm. It involves taking some of his thigh muscle so that could mean Mr Adam will be unable to perform at his peak when he returns to running. With dreams of 2012 Paralympics in sight, that creates a dilemma but he knows his priorities and knows he needs to take some pressure off his mum. “We’re hoping to get back the basic needs of feeding myself and holding my ez-link card and tap,” said Mr Adam, who has plans for life after the operation.
“I can do some business in the sports industry like setting boot camps, coaching, inspire and share my knowledge. If I can have a stable income, I can hire a
full-time maid or nurse to take care of me and not depend on my mum.”
His resolve and willingness to embrace life are in stark contrast to the shattered man of seven years ago, though some of the old Mr Adam still breaks through. “I still watch Motor GP and F1. Totally
love speed,” he said. Sometimes he even rides pillion on his friend’s motorcycle, but without his
mum’s knowledge. “A rider is always a rider.”
full-time maid or nurse to take care of me and not depend on my mum.”
His resolve and willingness to embrace life are in stark contrast to the shattered man of seven years ago, though some of the old Mr Adam still breaks through. “I still watch Motor GP and F1. Totally
love speed,” he said. Sometimes he even rides pillion on his friend’s motorcycle, but without his
mum’s knowledge. “A rider is always a rider.”
